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THE   REAL  MORMONISM 

A  Candid  Analysis  of  an  Interesting  but  Much 

Misunderstood  Subject  in  History 

Life  and  Thought 


BY 

ROBERT  C.  WEBB 


*'It  has  alivays  been  a  cardinal  teaching  nvitb  the  Latter-day 
Saints,  that  a  religion  that  has  not  the  ponjoer  to  sa've  people 
temporally  and  make  them  prosperous  and  happy  here,  cannot 
be  depended  upon  to  sa^ve  them  spiritually,  and  to  exalt  them 
in  the  life  to  come. ' ' 

— Joseph  F.  Smith. 


Dew  ]i?orft 

STURGIS  &  WALTON 

COMPANY 

1916 

All  rights  reserved 


Copyright,  1916 
By  STURGIS  &  WALTON  COMPANY 


Set  ap  ftDd  electrotyped.     Published  April,  1916 


Bancroft  Library 


TO  THE  ILLUSTRIOUS  MEMORY  OF 
JOSEPH  SMITH 

THE  "  MORMON   PROPHET," 

who,  in  Spite  of  the  evil  character  and  corrupt  motives 
attributed  to  him  by  enemies,  critics  and  fault-find- 
ers, stands  revealed  to  the  candid  student  of  his 
career  as  an  honest  man,  a  deep  thinker,  a 
powerful  leader,  and  a  pre-eminent  re- 
former, worthy  to  be  classed  with  the 
great  men  of  history,  and  deserv- 
ing    the     respect     and     at- 
tention of  honest  and  in- 
telligent minds 


TABLE  OF  CONTENTS 

SECTION  I  — MORMONISM  AND  ITS  FOUNDER. 
CHAPTER  I 


THE  MORMON  PROBLEM 


PAGE 


Origin  of  the  name  Mormonism  —  A  large  subject  —  Justice  de- 
manded—  Traditional  prejudice  and  injustice  —  Anti-Mormon 
persecutions  —  A  timely  warning  —  Judge  J.  S.  Black  on  "  political 
piety" — Are  Mormons  champions  of  American  institutions?  — 
Hon.  A.  B.  Carlton  on  injustice  to  the  Mormons  —  Charles  Ellis  on 
the  secret  of  Anti-Mormon  hatred  —  The  claims  of  Mormonism  — 
"  Apostasy  "  and  "  restoration  " —  Joseph  Smith  as  a  "  reformer  " — 
His  "  bad  character  " —  Joseph  Smith  and  Mormonism  deserve  can- 
did treatment 3-9 

CHAPTER  n 

THE  RIDDLE  OF  JOSEPH   SMITH 

"  Good  and  evil  spoken  of  " —  An  obscure  origin  and  vast  achieve- 
ments —  Personality  of  the  Prophet  — "  Most  powerful  influence  of 
the  nineteenth  century" — "Helpless  before  the  puzzle" — The 
traditional  "affidavits" — Misfit  sins  —  Slanderous  rural  gossip  — 
No  serious  accusations  made  —  Supposed  alcoholic  addiction  — 
Joseph  Smith's  evident  sincerity  —  His  early  religious  unrest — "If 
any  of  you  lack  wisdom" — His  first  vision  —  Declared  "all  of  the 
devil " —  Character  of  persecution  —  Visions  and  theophanies  in 
human  tradition  —  Not  incredible  — "  Divers  temptations  offen- 
sive in  the  sight  of  God  " — "  Without  the  assisting  grace  of  the 
Savior" — Early  errors  of  saints  and  Church  fathers  —  The  first 
vision  of  Moroni  —  The  Book  of  Mormon  promised   ....       10-24 

CHAPTER  HI 

THE  COMING-FORTH  OF  THE  BOOK  OF  MORMON 

Theories  on  the  origin  of  the  Book  — "  Religious  portions " 
added?  — Smith's  account  of  the  origin  of  the  Book  —  Golden 
plates  delivered  to  him  —  Severe  persecutions  —  Martin  Harris 
visits  Prof.  Anthon  —  Anthon's  statements  —  No  origin  indicated 
by  him  —  Translating  the  sacred  plates  —  Harris's  defection  —  The 
Prophet  chastised  —  Various  suppositions  —  A  theory  of  the 
"translating"  by  a  Mormon  — Its  psychological  consistency  — 
Anti-Biblical  methods  used  against  the  Book  of  Mormon  —  Unfair 

and  disingenuous 25-36 

iii 


iv  TABLE  OF  CONTENTS 

CHAPTER  IV 

THE  BEGINNINGS  OF  MORMONISM 


PAGE 


The  plates  of  Mormon  shown  to  the  three  witnesses  —  Their 
"  testimony  " —  Not  accomplices  in  fraud  —  Apostasy  and  reconcili- 
ation—Oliver Co  wdery  — Martin  Harris  — David  Whitmer  — 
Whitmer's  epitaph  and  firm  testimony  —  Hypnotism  or  stage-craft? 
— "  Rational  "  explanations  inconclusive 37-43 

CHAPTER  V 

JOSEPH   SMITH  AS  THE  FIRST  PROPHET,  SEER  AND  REVELATOR 

Smith's  history  written  only  by  enemies  or  adherents  —  Prob- 
lematical situations — 'Restoration  of  the  Priesthood  —  John  the 
Baptist  a  ministering  angel  —  Smith's  unadorned  narrative  —  Cow- 
dery's  repetition  of  the  story  —  The  apparent  conviction  of  Smith 
and  Cowdery  —  The  organization  of  the  Church  —  Beginnings  of 
Mormon  persecutions  —  First  recorded  trial  of  Joseph  Smith  —  A 
travesty  of  justice —  Steady  growth  of  the  Church  —  The  doctrine 
of  "gathering" — Settlement  of  Kirtland,  Ohio  —  The  perfection 
of  human  society  —  The  Order  of  Enoch  —  Perfecting  the  organ- 
ization of  the  Saints  — "  Correct  principles  " —  Consecrated  prop- 
erty and  stewardship  —  Failure  of  the  "  Kirtland  boom  " —  Tem- 
poral and  spiritual  prosperity  —  Educational  interests  —  Settle- 
ments in  Missouri  —  Wanderings  of  the  Mormons  —  Heroic  death 
of  David  W.  Patten  —  The  emergence  of  Brigham  Young  —  His 
law  of  mutual  helpfulness  —  Strong  men  around  the  Prophet  — 
Smith  overcomes  the  mob  —  He  rebukes  his  jailers  —  He  heals 
the  sick  at  Commerce  —  A  rheumatic  arm  "  electrified  " —  Smith's 
geniality  —  A  good-natured  debater — "A  fine-looking  man" — 
A  great  mystic  —  Direct  revelations  from  God  — "  Not  these  cheap 
and  wretched  properties  " — "  Some  mastering  force  of  the  man  " 

—  Personal  kindness  and  good  will 44-67 

CHAPTER  VI 

JOSEPH  SMITH  AS  LAWGIVER  AND  EXECUTIVE 

The  founding  of  Nauvoo — "Concocting"  the  Nauvoo  charter 

—  Charter  passed  unanimously  by  the  state  legislature  —  Voted  for 
by  Stephen  A.  Douglas  and  Abraham  Lincoln  —  Gov.  Ford's  his- 
tory of  the  episode  —  Possible  motives  back  of  the  charter  —  The 
call  to  Zion  —  Severe  ordinances  passed  against  crime  —  Edict  of 
toleration  to  all  —  First  effective  temperance  measure  in  history 

—  Suppression  of  vice  and  disorder  — "  The  Government  of  God  " 

—  Benevolent  intentions  of  the  Saints  —  The  unifying  power  of 
Mormonism — Persecutions  attributed  to  lack  of  faith  and  obedi- 
ence—  The  Female  Relief  Society  —  The  first  known  benevolent 
organization  for  women  — "  An  empire-founding  religion  " —  Debts 
to  the  Church  forgiven  —  The  "jubilee"  in  1880  —  Gospel  of 
brotherhood  and  mutual  helpfulness 68-86 

CHAPTER  VII 

JOSEPH   SMITH  AS  A  STATESMAN  AND  REFORMER 

Live  questions  of  the  day  —  Smith's  plan  for  abolishing  slavery 

—  Anticipating  Ralph  W.  Emerson's  recommendation  by  11  years 


TABLE  OF  CONTENTS  v 

PAGE 

—  Sad  that  Smith  and  Emerson  were  not  heard  —  Appealing  to  the 
federal  government  —  Humiliating  comment  on  governmental  effi- 
ciency—  Partisan  politics  and  corruption  —  Smith  candidate  for 
President  —  His  "  Platform  "  on  the  powers  and  policy  of  the  gov- 
ernment—  An  idealistic  document — Compared  to  the  idealism  of 
Jefferson  and  Paine  —  Accepted  at  face  value  by  saner  portion  of 
the  public  —  Comments  by  the  press  — "  The  sine  qua  non  of  the  age 

to   our   nation's   prosperity" 87-98 

CHAPTER  Vin 

JOSEPH  SMITH  IN  HIS  PERSONAL  ASSOCIATIONS 

Unfailing  ability  to  make  enemies  —  Anti-Smith  bitterness  — 
Evil  character  of  many  of  Smith's  enemies  —  Great  ability,  strong 
will  and  tendency  to  antagonize  associates  —  Thomas  B.  Marsh  and 
the  beginning  of  the  "  Danite  "  deluson  —  Orson  Hyde  supplements 
Marsh's  "testimony" — A  scandalous  and  wicked  procedure  — 
Hundreds  of  lives  endangered  by  a  silly  lie  —  Schuyler  Colfax  and 
others  accept  the  statements  later  discredited  by  their  authors  — 
The  truth  on  the  "  Danite  "  hoax  —  Marsh  and  Hyde  both  reunite 
with  the  Church  and  die  in  full  membership  —  Joseph  Smith  de- 
serves credit  for  real  greatness  —  An  important  figure  in  history    99-104 

SECTION  II  — THE  FRUITS  OF  MORMONISM. 
CHAPTER  IX 

MORMONISM  THE  EXPONENT  OF  EQUAUTY  AND  FRATERNITY 

An  effective  scheme  of  social  regeneration  must  be  based  on  re- 
ligion—  Religion  demands  a  thorough  organization  —  Coordina- 
tion of  individual  wills  for  the  common  good  —  Christ  demanded 
temporal  regeneration  as  well  as  promising  salvation  in  the  world 
to  come  —  The  influence  of  Buddhism  —  The  Catholic  Church  and 
the  ideal  of  overcoming  the  world  —  The  "  reformers  "  attempted 
to  promote  personal  righteousness  — "  Salvation  by  faith  " —  The 
inexcusable  character  of  social  difficulties  —  The  significance  of 
Mormonism  —  Its  principles  of  organization  destined  to  wide  ac- 
ceptation—  Dispensing  with  professional  preachers  —  First  step  in 
abolishing  artificial  class  distinctions  —  Mormonism  and  coopera- 
tion—-"The  demand  of  the  ages"— The  United  Order  and  per- 
sonal stewardships  —  Religious  significance  of  the  Order  —  Rules 
for  the  Order — "You  are  to  be  equal" — Worthlessness  of  cur- 
rent "benevolence"  and  " charity "^ The  law  of  tithing  — Its 
antiquity  — As  practiced  by  Latter-day  Saints  —  Missionary  work, 
temple  building,  community  labors,  unrequited  in  money  —  The 
vital  efficiency  of  Mormonism 107-118 

CHAPTER  X 

MORMONISM   AS  THE  INSTRUMENT  OF  TEMPORAL  SALVATION 

Mormonism  versus  Fourierism  —  The  Icarian  colony  at  Nauvoo 

—  Reactionism  and  social  reform— "The  coming  slavery"— So- 
cialism assumes  a  non-existent  "goodness"  in  man  —  Socialist 
failures    in    Paraguay —"  Super-rational    sanction    for    conduct" 

—  Social  "solutions"  and  the  treatment  of  disease  —  Character 


vi  TABLE  OF  CONTENTS 


PAGE 


and  function  of  religion  —  The  methods  of  Mormonism  —  Brigham 
Young  attempts  to  restore  the  United  Order  —  His  "  land  law  of 
modern  Israel  " —  His  "  temporal  activities  "  opposed  —  Home  in- 
dustry a  "  watchword  in  Utah  " —  The  faith  and  determination  of 
Brigham  Young — The  beginnings  of  irrigation — Colonies  founded 
by  the  Church  —  Sugar  industry  introduced  —  Silk  manufacture  at- 
tempted—  Zion's  Cooperative  Mercantile  Institution  —  Perpetual 
Immigrating  Fund  Company — Building  the  Union  Pacific  Rail- 
road—  Mormon  colonization  record  —  The  Dry  Gulch  District  — 
The  inestimable  value  of  cooperation — "The  bond  of  religion 
greater  than  all  others" — A  new,  a  worthy  and  highly  necessary 
order  of  practical  well-doing  —  Church  money  given,  not  invested 

—  The  authorities  "merely  wasting  their  funds"?  — A  grudging 
endorsement — The  Church  buys  up  irrigation  company  bonds  — 
The  Hawaiian  colony  in  Utah  —  The  Government  should  "assist 
them  in  every  way  possible" — The  empire-building  march  of  Mor- 
monism—  Individual  salvation  the  aim  of  the  Gospel  ....  1 19-144 

CHAPTER  XI 

THE  PRACTICAL  WORKINGS  OF  MORMONISM 

The  interests  of  the  individual  considered  —  Needs  looked  into 
and  provided  for  —  Bulk  of  beneficences  for  aged,  infirm  and 
widows  —  Methods  of  providing  employment  for  the  needy  —  Lo- 
cating families  newly  arrived  in  Zion  —  Persistent  efforts  for  the 
unemployed  by  the  Presiding  Bishopric  —  Brigham  Young's  ef- 
forts to  provide  employment  —  The  reorganization  of  society  for 
a  better  efficiency  —  Recognized  by  the  Mormon  Church  .     .     .  145-ISO 

CHAPTER  XII 

THE  MORAL  RECORD  OF  THE  MORMON  PEOPLE 

Mormon  moral  character  misrepresented  —  Mormon  enthusiasm 
for  temperance  —  Reverence  for  the  "  Word  of  Wisdom  " —  Close 
organization  conducive  to  temperance  and  personal  probity  — 
Never  invited  to  "  have  a  drink  " —  Mormons  and  "  Gentiles  "  com- 
pared—Educational advantages  of  the  Mormon  organization  — 
Saloons  in  the  Mormon  states  —  Voting  on  the  local  option  law 

—  Statistics  on  police  offenses  and  misdemeanors  —  Only  ^iJl  Utah 
felons  in  16  years  —  Statistics  on  commonest  crimes  —  On  crimes 

of   violence   and   impurity 151-162 

SECTION  III  — THE  TEACHINGS  OF  MORMONISM. 
CHAPTER  XIII 

THE  THEOLOGY  OF  MORMONISM  ' 

A  consistent  body  of  doctrine  —  Based  upon  a  thorough  belief  in 
revelation  —  Avoids  "curious  questions" — The  restoration  of  the 
Gospel  — An  old  effort  —  Follows  the  Bible  literally —"  Gifts  of 
the  Spirit"— "The  Spirit  of  prophecy "— Prophetic  office  ex- 
plained —  Joseph  Smith  a  "  wanton  gospeler  "—  Direct  communi- 
cation with  God  — Theology  the  "  God-science  "— Mormon  doc- 
trines mystical  — The  proper  "endowments"  of  believers  — A 
system  for  the  "wayfaring  man,  though  uninstructed "— Mor- 
mons  "too  primitive "—" Literalism "  and  " materialism "—" All 


TABLE  OF  CONTENTS  vii 

PAGE 

Spirit  is  matter  "— -"  Materialism  "  and  intelligible  reality  —  Words 
rather  than  ideas — ^^Subjective  and  objective  —  The  Athanasian 
controversy  —  Theories  of  Descartes  and  Spinoza — Berkeley's 
idealism  —  An  "  Immaterial  spirit "  and  karma  —  A  philosophical 
whimsey  —  Two  kinds  of  atheism 165-179 

CHAPTER  XrV 

THE  MORMON  DOCTRINE  OF  GOD 

The  "  materialistic  "  conception  —  Consistent  literalism  —  A  God 
of  flesh  and  bone  —  The  risen  Christ  —  The  "  express  image  of  his 
person  " —  God  "  an  exalted  man  " — "  Power  to  lay  down  his  life 
and  take  it  again  " —  The  eternal  drama  of  redemption  —  God,  gods 
and  angels  — "  As  God  now  is,  man  may  be  " —  The  Holy  Spirit, 
"  bridge  between  the  human  and  divine  "—  The  constitution  of  the 
Godhead  —  A  humanly  intelligible  doctrine — "The  splendid  doc- 
trine of  anthropomorphism" — "Made  in  the  image  of  God"  .     .  180-189 

CHAPTER  XV 

THE  DOCTRINES  OF  MAN,  OF  THE  FALL,  AND  OF  THE  CHARACTER  OF  EVIL 

The  Spirit  of  man  eternal  and  uncreated  —  Preexistent  in  inno- 
cence — "  The  spirit  and  the  body  is  the  soul " —  Reason  for  human 
incarnation  —  The  embodied  soul  immortal  after  resurrection  — 
The  "  great  council  of  the  gods  " —  Preexistence  and  predestination 

—  Freedom  of  choice  unimpaired  —  The  "  war  in  heaven  "  and 
moral  "  dualism  " —  Determinism  and  free  will  as  reconciled  by 
philosophy  —  Salvation  means  "  to  triumph  over  all  our  enemies  " 
— "  No  salvation  except  through  a  tabernacle  " — "  Adam  fell  that 
men  might  be  " —  The  significance  of  the  fall  —  Adam  the  "  patri- 
arch" of  the  human  race  —  Adam  and  Christ  compared  —  Adam 
the  "Ancient  of  days" — The  alleged  "Adam-god"  doctrine  — 
The  "  patriarchal "  concept  of  the  universe  —  The  sin  of  Adam  — 

The  need  of  the  atonement  emphasized 190-203 

CHAPTER  XVI 

THE  DOCTRINES  OF  ATONEMENT,   RELIGIOUS   DUTY,   AND  PERSONAL 
RIGHTEOUSNESS 

Explanation  of  the  doctrine  of  atonement  — "  Descending  below 
all  things"  to  rise  above  all  things  —  Reasons  for  the  "interven- 
tion"—  Adam's  sin  wiped  out  —  The  circuit  restored  —  A  man 
must  "work  out  his  own  salvation" — Faith  and  personal  right- 
eousness —  Intrinsic  value  of  good  acts  not  material  in  this  connec- 
tion—  Works  required  to  please  God,  not  merely  words  and  pro- 
fessions—  Baptism  and  ordinances  essential  to  highest  exaltation 

—  The  significance  of  the  Church  organization  —  An  instrument 
for  promoting  righteousness  —  Follows  New  Testament  in  em- 
phasizing temporal  and  social  well-being — ^Lack  of  organization 
cause  of  futility  of  traditional  religion  — A  "sacred  system  of 
government "  must  be  both  temporal  and  spiritual  —  The  salvation 
of  the  earth— "Like  unto  crystal "— Man's  place  in  carrying  out 
God's  designs  for  this  world  by  righteousness  —  Priesthood  and 
"  God-science  " —  Temple  endowment  —  The  masterpiece  of  the 
ages  —  Righteousness,  temperance  and  the  Word  of  Wisdom  — 


viii  TABLE  OF  CONTENTS 

PAGE 

Under  law  or  under  grace?  —  The  "sin  unto  death" — "Blood 
atonement" — A  scriptural  doctrine  —  The  punishment  of  heresy 

—  God's  laws  thwarted  by  the  man-made  laws  of  the  nations  of  the 
world 204-224 

CHAPTER  XVII 

THE  DOCTRINES  OF  RESTORATION,  RESURRECTION  AND   SALVATION 

"  Love  "  and  law  —  The  Mormon  Prophet  a  pioneer  —  The  Ever- 
lasting Gospel  —  The  seven  dispensations  —  Dispensation  of  the 
Fulness  of  Times  —  The  gathering  of  the  dispersion  of  Israel  — 
Spur  to  missionary  enthusiasm  —  Salvation  for  the  dead  —  The 
authorities  claimed  for  the  doctrine  —  The  strong  appeal  made  by 
this  doctrine  —  A  help  to  faith  in  the  future  life  —  A  new  order  of 
" universalism " — The  three  resurrections  —  The  three  "glories" 
or  "  kingdoms  " —  The  Celestial  Kingdom  —  The  Terrestrial  King- 
dom—  The  Telestial  Kingdom  —  The  sons  of  Perdition   .     .     .  225-236 

SECTION  IV  — MORMON  MARRIAGE  INSTITUTIONS. 
CHAPTER  XVIII 

PLURAL  MARRIAGE  AND  THE  POSITION   OF   WOMEN  AMONG  THE  MORMONS 

Doctrine  based  on  revelation — "A  stone  of  stumbling" — A 
"  holy  order  " —  Ground  of  sanctity  hard  to  understand  —  Means  of 
begetting  a  race  of  godlike  men  —  An  incident  in  the  doctrine  of 
"  eternal "  or  "  celestial "  marriage  —  Text  of  the  revelation  -—  A 
"social  phase"  of  eminent  interest — "Sex  problems"  of  society 

—  Extirpation  of  the  social  evil  —  Polygamy  and  morality  —  A 
"  sad  and  sickening  comment " —  Productive  of  a  healthier  poster- 
ity—  Continence 239-249 

CHAPTER  XIX 

WOMAN   UNDER  PLURAL  MARRIAGE 

The  "downtrodden  sisters"  of  Mormondom  —  The  doctrine 
vitally  religious  —  Arguments  in  favor  —  No  advantage  to  men  — 
Susa  Young  Gates  on  Mormon  family  life  — "  The  world  never  saw 
such  women  before "—"  Perfect  through  suffering"? — "Higher 
compensations  " — "  Determine  to  attain  to  celestial  glory  " — "  My 
desire  for  an  eternal  union  with  him  will  be  the  last  wish  of  my 
mortal  life  "—  Let  them  "  make  their  prisons  large  enough  to  hold 
their  wives  "  also  —  The  Cullom  bill  denounced  by  women  — "  For 
the  exaltation  of  the  human  family"  — "The  Lord  gave  me  a 
mother's  love  for  them" — Unfamiliar  and  noble  forms  of  virtue 

—  Peaceful  and  loving  cohabitation  of  plural  wives — "We  have 
raised  our  children  together  "— "  Each  contributes  to  the  utmost  for 
the  support  of  the  family  "— "  A  race  of  men  and  women  who  shall 
live  to  the  age  of  a  tree  "— "  Tends  to  virtue,  purity  and  holiness  " 
— "  Mormon  women  working  grandly  on  the  sex  problem  " — "  Mor- 
mon wives  emphatically  'women's  rights'  women "—"  Mormon 
women  the  happiest  in  the  world  "— "  We  enjoy  all  the  rights  and 
know  how  to  use  them"— The  Mormon  women's  protest  against 
the  Edmunds  law  — "  Happy  in  the  consciousness  of  mutual  and 
eternal  affection "— "  Our  grievous  offense,  so  contrary  to  their 
sinful  practices "— Were  they  happy?— "How  is  the  missionary 
going  to  begin?"— The  love  song  of  a  plural  wife 250-266 


TABLE  OF  CONTENTS  ix 

SECTION  V  — THE  MORMON  ORGANIZATION. 
CHAPTER  XX 

THE  ORGANIZATION  OF  THE  MORMON  CHURCH 

PAGE 

The  best-known  fact  about  Mormonism  —  Significance  to  social 
conditions  —  Inevitable  to  the  genius  of  Mormonism  —  The  primi- 
tive Church  restored  —  Two  orders  of  Priesthood  —  Aaron  and 
Melchisedek — "Holy  priesthood  after  the  order  of  the  Son  of 
God  " —  All  men  should  hold  the  priesthood  —  Priesthood  "  power 
and  authority  to  act  in  the  name  of  God  " —  Lower  priesthood  an 
"appendage"  to  the  Higher  —  Grades  and  dignities  in  the  two 
priesthoods  —  Teacher  and  deacon  "necessary  appendages" — 
Duties  of  deacons  —  Of  teachers  —  Of  Aaronic  priests  —  Baptism 
administered  by  Aaronic  priests  —  The  bishopric  —  Presiding 
bishop  should  be  a  "lineal  descendant  of  Aaron" — Duties  of 
bishops  —  The  dignities  of  the  Higher  Priesthood  —  Quorums  of 
all  orders  —  Quorum  and  society  presidencies  peculiarly  organized 

—  The  Seventy  and  their  duties  —  The  Twelve  Apostles  —  Three 
quorums  of  equal  authority  —  A  contradiction?  —  Popular  votes  in 
Church  government  —  The  First  Presidency,  its  duties  and  digni- 
ties—  President  may  be  impeached  —  The  "stake"  and  its  gov- 
ernment—  Quarterly  stake  meetings  —  Votes  to  "sustain"  or  re- 
ject all  officers  —  Comparison  to  national  government  —  the  ward 
and  its  organization  —  Three  regularly  organized  Church  courts 

—  Total  quorum  membership 269-295 

CHAPTER  XXI 

"  AUXILIARY  ORGANIZATIONS  " 

Organizations  additional  to  the  quorum  membership -- The 
Women's  Relief  Society  —  An  efficient  charitable  organization  — 
The  Mutual  Improvement  Associations  —  History  of  the  Mutual 
Improvement  movements  —  The  Sunday  School  Organization  — 
Graded  instruction  —  The  Parents'  Class  —  Sunday  School  mem- 
bership —  The  Primary  Association  —  The  Church  Board  of  Edu- 
cation —  History  of  Mormon  education  —  The  Religion  Class  .     .  296-310 

SECTION  VI  — TRUTH.  JUSTICE  AND  MORMONISM. 
CHAPTER  XXII 

ANTI-MORMON  ACCUSATIONS 

Anti-Mormonism  and  the  Ninth  Commandment  —  A  brief  an- 
thology—  Mutilated  history  —  An  anti-Mormon  sermon  —  The. 
Mormons  accused  of  sympathy  with  Garfield's  assassin  —  The  im- 
pending Mormon  "rebellion" — Damiens,  self-exiled  among  the 
"  moral  lepers  " —  An  intemperate  and  brutal  tirade  — "  Mormon 
women  are  ripe  for  rebellion  " — "  What  Utah  needs  " —  Vice  advo- 
cated to  neutralize  Mormon  influence  —  Where  the  "end  justifies 
the  means  " — "  We  tell  them  in  all  sincerity  "—  The  "  civilization  " 
from  which  the  Mormons  "shrink" — The  object  to  destroy  pop- 
ular rule  in  Utah  — "  Polygamy "  not  the  real  objection  against 
Mormonism  —  The  "  lust-of -empire  "  slander  —  Judge  Boreman's 
intemperate  harangue  —  Garfield's  reported  experiences  —  Crim- 
inals accused  of  being  Mormons  —  Vituperation  ad  absurdum  .  313-326 


X  TABLE  OF  CONTENTS 

CHAPTER  XXIII 

THE  ALLEGED  POLITICAL   ACTIVITIES  OF  THE   MORMON   AUTHORITIES 

PAQB 

Mormonism  occasionally  in  politics  —  Explainable  on  two 
grounds  —  Wrangles  over  the  Mormon  vote  in  Illinois  — "  Muck- 
rakers  "  at  work  on  the  "  problem  " —  Pres.  Roosevelt's  alleged 
agreement  with  the  Church  —  The  charge  vigorously  denied  by 
him  —  The  Mormon  Church  and  Tammany  Hall  —  Hearsay  evi- 
dence and  wanton  gossip  —  The  "  dreadful  climax  " —  Nothing  po- 
litically worse  than  is  done  in  all  other  parts  of  the  country  — 
The  "  bleeding  Kansas "  fight  —  The  time-honored  "  Gerry- 
mander"—The  Church  "Address  to  the  World"  (1907)— The 
wails  of  sectarian  missionaries  —  Bishop  Tuttle's  circular  petition 

—  The  new  "  Come  over  and  help  us  " —  The  cause  of  the  Ed- 
munds law  oppressions  —  The  old  "  Know-Nothing  "  spirit  ram- 
pant—  Corrupt  politicians  speak  of  "theocratic  polygamy" — The 
Mormon  position  explained  —  Superiority  of  God's  laws  and  dic- 
tates of  conscience,  old  contentions  —  Utah  and  Massachusetts  Bay 
Colony  similarly  accused  —  Governor  Morrill's  absurd  attack  on 
the  "  hierarchy  " —  Not  against  popular  rule  —  Religious  opposition, 
not  objectionable  doctrines,  the  real  cause  against  Mormonism  — 
The  real  "  Mormon  menace  " —  No  evidence  of  Mormon  "  disloy- 
alty " —  The  proposed  constitution  for  the  state  of  Deseret  —  Evi- 
dent misrepresentations  —  Judge  Carlton  on  "  Know-Nothing  "  and 
anti-Mormon  agitation  —  His  poem,  "  The  Battle  of  Louisville  "  .  327-349 

CHAPTER  XXIV 

HOV/  JUSTICE  WAS  DONE  IN  THE  MORMON  COUNTRY 

Meaning  of  "  Mormon  degradation  "  exhibited  —  The  evils  per- 
petrated by  fanatics  in  politics  —  Activities  of  unbalanced  women 

—  Absurd  reports  on  public  meetings  —  Resolutions  against  perver- 
sions of  law  adopted  by  Mormon  women  —  Wives  compelled  to 
testify  against  husbands  —  Women's  "Memorial"  to  Congress  — 
The  bitter  fruits  of  Tuttle's  petition  —  Utter  contempt  of  human 
rights  —  "  Unlawful  cohabitation  "  not  defined  —  The  miserable  fic- 
tion of  "  constructive  cohabitation  " —  The  case  of  Lorenzo  Snow 
before  the  U.  S.  Supreme  Court  —  Argument  by  George  Ticknor 
Curtis  —  Judge  Boreman's  unjust  decisions  —  Mr.  Snow  impris- 
oned—  The  new  weapon  of  "segregation" — The  real  objects  of 
the  anti-Mormon  party  —  Outline  of  the  Edmunds-Tucker  Act  — 
Senatorial  attacks  on  the  provisions  of  the  bill 3SO-369 

CHAPTER  XXV 

A  SHELTER  FOR  THE  "  ERRING  AND  OPPRESSED  " 

Absurd  charges  of  "treasonable"  and  "disloyal"  talk  — False 
reports  of  misery,  degradation  and  neglect  —  Monstrous  accusa- 
tions —  Categorical  denials  — "  Christian  Industrial  Home  "  pro- 
posed —  Objections  by  Mormon  women  —  Touching  speech  by  Gov- 
ernor West  —  The  kind  of  "  home  "  needed  —  An  imposing  build- 
ing—Refuge for  "victims  of  polygamy "— Darnings,  mendings, 
cuttings  and  fittings  —  Ridiculous  stories  of  "  distress  "  circulated 
by  the  managers  of  the  "  home  "—  The  "  home  "  a  failure  —  Build- 
ing sold  at  auction 370-377 


TABLE  OF  CONTENTS  xi 

SECTION  VII  — ANTI-MORMON  EXPLANATIONS. 
CHAPTER  XXVI 

WAS  JOSEPH  SMITH  AN  EPILEPTIC? 

PAGE 

Hypothesis  of  Smith's  insincerity  untenable — Psychology  and 
pathology  invoked  for  this  reason  —  Evidence  defective  in  all  par- 
ticulars —  Riley's  theory  unscientific  —  Ancestral  "  predispositions  " 

—  Visions  explained  as  "  migraines  "—  Smith  a  "  magazine  "  of 
assorted  symptoms  —  Contentions  not  demonstrated  —  Symptoms 
doubtful  —  Migraine  and  epilepsy  —  Common  aurae  of  Epilepsy  — 
Varieties  of  Epilepsy  —  Riley's  vague  and  indefinite  case  analyzed 

—  Mis-quoted  "  evidences  " — "  Exhaustion  paralysis  " —  Leading 
symptoms  not  present  —  "  Epilepsy  not  a  morbid  entity  "—  Epilepti- 
form convulsions  might  occur  in  any  disease  —  Smith's  "  symp- 
toms "  perfectly  explainable  as  caused  by  other  conditions  than  dis- 
ease —  Darwin  on  the  symptoms  of  fear  and  astonishment  —  James 
on  reflexes  produced  by  emotions  —  Smith's  accounts  correct  as  to 
details  —  Evidently  unaware  of  the  suggestions  of  disease  —  Smith 
deprecates  "  fallings,  twitchings,"  etc.,  as  of  religious  significance  — 
Epilepsy  must  have  been  common  among  ancient  saints  —  Renan 
and  Lombroso  on  St.  Paul — "Epileptoid"  suggestions  from  the 
Bible  —  The  persistence  of  the  witnesses  —  Absurdity  of  "  rational- 
istic" explanations  of  such  matters 381-399 

CHAPTER  XXVII 

DID  SOLOMON   SPAULDING  WRITE  THE  BOOK  OF  MORMON? 

Substance  of  the  Spaulding  theory  —  Theory  first  promulgated 
by  E.  D.  Howe  —  A  dramatic  "  occurrence  " —  Phenomenal  mem- 
ories—  Hurlburt  visits  Spaulding's  widow  —  Alleged  "affidavits'* 
in  support  of  the  Spaulding  theory  — "  Singular  unanimity  "  in  re- 
gard to  names — "Lost  Ten  Tribes" — Object  of  accounting  for 
mounds,  etc.—"  Added  religious  matter  " —  Statements  certainly  in- 
spired— 'The  time-honored  "character  test" — Virtue  and  long 
memories  —  The  alleged  theft  of  Spaulding's  manuscript  —  A 
manuscript  possessed  by  Sidney  Rigdon — "Affidavits"  supposed 
to  support  Rigdon's  dupHcity  —  Rigdon  evidently  interested  in 
antiquities  and  millennarianism  —  Rigdon's  alleged  motives  —  Par- 
ley P.  Pratt's  alleged  part  in  the  plot  —  Were  Rigdon,  Smith,  Pratt, 
and  others,  mere  imbeciles?  —  The  "mysterious  stranger" — Rig- 
don denies  the  Spaulding  theory  —  Ridiculous  charges  against 
Smith  in  the  matter  —  Professed  points  in  common  between 
Spaulding's  book  and  the  Book  of  Mormon  —  Spaulding's  only 
known  work  discovered  in  1884  —  Utterly  unlike  Book  of  Mormon 
in  every  particular  —  General  account  of  the  book  —  Evidently 
Spaulding's  first  literary  effort;  probably  also  his  only  one  —  No 
probability  that  he  could  have  improved  on  it  at  his  age  (48  or  49) 

—  His  formal  rejection  of  Christianity  another  presumption 
against  his  authorship  of  the  Book  of  Mormon  —  Conclusion  to  be 
drawn  from  the  evidence  is  "  not  proven  " 400-426 

CHAPTER  XXVIII 

WAS  THE  BOOK  OF  MORMON  PRODUCED  BY  "AUTOMATIC  WRITING?" 

The  theory  a  good  example  of  the  pseudo-scientific  —  Repeats 
the  opinions  of  Alexander  Campbell  —  Forced  arguments  —  Slov- 


xn  TABLE  OF  CONTENTS 

PAGE 

enly  generalizations  on  mounds  and  "caches  of  arms" — Sources 
suggested  in  books  appearing  later  than  the  Book  of  Mormon  — 
Parallel  passages  with  Paine  and  the  Westminster  Confession 
supposed  to  be  found  —  Mormon  organization  absurdly  compared 
with  that  of  Methodism  —  A  "cross-section  of  his  brain" — Sup- 
posed results  of  "  veritable  crystal  gazing  " —  Transcript  from  the 
"  plates  of  Mormon  "  resembles  Hieratic  Egyptian  —  No  "  signs  of 
the  Zodiac "  and  no  excerpts  from  "  farmers'  almanacs  " —  Sup- 
posed evidences  of  "automatism"  in  this  writing — "Automatic 
writing  "  not  entirely  incompatible  with  claims  made  by  Smith  him- 
self —  Prof.  James  on  case  of  "  automatic  writing  " —  His  views  on 
the  matter  —  Smith  undoubtedly  sincerely  convinced  of  the  truth  of 
the  Mormon  record  —  The  real  reason  why  Smith  has  been  perse- 
cuted —  Calvin,  Luther,  and  other  "  reformers "  regarded  as 
"  prophets,"  although  not  so  called  — "  Test "  of  truth  proposed  by 
the  Book  of  Mormon  as  yet  untried  by  anti-Mormon  agitators    .  427-440 

Note  I  —  Danites  or  Destroying  Angels 441-443 

Note  II  —  Polygamy  and  the  Jewish  Law 443-445 

Selections  from  the  Book  of  Mormon 445-450 

Index   ,     . 451-463 


T 

MORMONISM  AND  ITS  FOUNDER 

'*  If  the  reader  does  not  know  what  to  make  of  Joseph  Smith,  I  cannot  help  him 
out  of  the  difl&culty.     I  myself  stand  helpless  before  the  puzzle." — Josiah  Quincy. 


THE  REAL  MORMONISM 


CHAPTER  I 

THE  MORMON  PROBLEM 

The  name  Mormonism  is  the  popular  designation  for  the  system 
of  religious  doctrine  and  practice  founded  on  the  teachings  of 
Joseph  Smith  (1805-1844),  who  claimed  a  divinely  revealed  au- 
thority to  restore  the  Gospel  of  Christ  in  its  original  purity,  which, 
as  he  asserted,  had  been  lost  and  obscured  through  centuries  of 
apostasy  among  Christian  people.  Although  not  officially  recog- 
nized by  his  disciples  —  they  call  their  organization  the  Church 
of  Jesus  Christ  of  Latter-day  Saints,  in  distinction  from  the 
"  Former-day  Saints,"  or  the  Church  of  the  time  of  Christ's  apos- 
tles —  the  term  has  the  authority  of  sufficient  good  usage  to  war- 
rant us  in  retaining  it,  in  preference  to  the  longer  title.  Hence, 
following  the  rooted  habit  of  over  three-score  years  and  ten,  we 
will  in  the  present  book  speak  of  Mormonism  and  Mormons, 
without  marks  of  quotation;  remarking,  however,  that  no  more 
disrespect  or  opprobrium  attaches  to  the  use  of  these  words  than 
to  that  of  such  analogous  epithets  as  Quakers,  Swedenborgians, 
Wesleyans  or  Papists. 

The  title  or  epithet.  Mormon,  derives  from  a  prophet  and  im- 
portant personage  of  that  name,  who,  as  is  claimed,  lived  an- 
ciently on  the  American  Continent,  and  was  largely  instrumental 
in  compiling  the  records  of  his  people  —  they  were  known  as 
Nephites  —  and  of  God's  dealings  with  them,  into  the  collection 
of  documents,  now  known  as  the  Book  of  Mormon.  This  rec- 
ord, inscribed  on  "  plates  resembling  gold,"  was,  it  is  claimed, 
delivered  to  Joseph  Smith  by  an  angel  named  Moroni,  who  dur- 
ing his  earth  life  was  the  son  of  Mormon.  Translated  by  Joseph 
Smith,  "through  the  gift  and  power  of  God,"  it  furnishes  a 
recognized  inspired  scripture  for  the  church  founded  by  him. 
Hence  his  disciples  were  known,  first  as  "  Mormonites,"  later  as 
"  Mormons." 


Mormonism  is  a  system  of  large  things.    It  is  large  in  claims, 
large  in  efforts,  large  in  results,  large  in  reputation,  and  very 

3 


4  THE  REAL  MORMONISM 

large  in  importance,  if  judged  by  the  opposition  it  has  evoked. 
Like  the  man  through  whom  it  had  origin,  it  possesses  an  indi- 
viduality that  is  intense  and  vital:  it  repels  and  attracts  with 
equal  force.  One  finds  difficulty  in  maintaining  a  perfectly 
neutral  position  in  treating  of  its  claims  and  history. 

Like  all  else  in  this  world,  however,  both  great  and  small,  good 
or  evil,  it  has  its  own  side  of  the  matters  with  which  it  is  con- 
cerned, and  deserves  pure,  simple  justice,  if  nothing  more.  But 
justice  it  has  never  received.  Anti-Mormon  agitators  seem  to 
have  been  literally  blinded  to  the  fact  that,  when  not  exaggerating 
weaknesses  common  to  all  humanity,  they  have  accused  the  Mor- 
mons of  crimes  and  vices  all  but  preposterous.  The  average 
writer  on  Mormonism  and  its  founder,  as  if  with  deliberation, 
has  given  the  worst  possible  construction  to  every  fact  of  its 
history,  teaching  and  practice;  has  greedily  accepted  and  aided 
in  the  further  publicity  of  all  accusations  of  evil-doing  brought 
against  this  Church  and  people  by  their  enemies;  has  accepted 
as  sufficient  authorities  on  all  Mormon  teachings  and  beliefs  the 
statements  of  persons  who,  by  their  own  acknowledgment,  are 
violently  prejudiced  —  hence  liable  to  misinterpret  or  distort 
opinions  and  beliefs;  and  in  no  case  do  we  find  such  writers 
even  attempting  to  understand  the  Mormon  "  point  of  view,"  in 
order  to  criticize  and  condemn,  if  at  all,  on  a  full  show  of  evi- 
dence and  with  intelligence  and  righteousness.  By  such  pro- 
cedures on  the  part  of  their  self-styled  "  candid  critics  "  Mor- 
monism has  been  placed  in  the  anomalous  position  of  a  cause 
suffering,  as  it  is  stated,  for  the  sake  of  conscience,  at  the  hands 
of  those  who  plead  conscience  for  their  violence  and  injustice; 
and,  in  the  role  of  a  martyr  for  human  liberty,  oppressed  by 
the  people  of  a  nation,  which  of  all  others  on  earth  boasts  the 
most  proudly  of  its  liberties  and  toleration. 

From  the  very  moment  of  its  birth,  when  it  had  no  humanly 
visible  prospect  of  ever  being  a  "menace,"  as  alleged,  to  any- 
thing, the  Mormon  Church  has  been  an  object  of  persecution. 
Its  success  in  making  converts  was  the  first  occasion  against  it 
on  the  part  of  various  sectarian  missionaries  and  pastors.  Even 
in  that  day  of  fierce  theological  debate  these  people  laid  aside 
their  internecine  strife  to  make  common  cause  against  this  new 
opponent,  who  urged  large  claims  and  had  the  courage  of  con- 
viction. Their  pulpit  efforts,  undoubtedly  redolent  of  things 
other  than  '*pure  theology,"  persuaded  the  populace  that  the 
Mormons  were  not  only  heretics,  but  also  brigands,  and  the  prob- 
able perpetrators  of  all  the  thefts  and  murders,  so  common  to 
the  frontier  life  of  the  time.  Several  of  these  "  clergymen," 
notably  a  certain  Bogart,  a  certain  Sashiel  Woods,  a  certain 


THE  MORMON  PROBLEM  5 

Williams,  and  a  certain  Brockman,  appeared  as  active  inciters 
and  leaders  of  mobs,  which  on  several  occasions  inflicted  griev- 
ous violence  on  these  people,  including  even  the  murder  of 
women  and  children. 

We  should  remember,  however,  that  both  mob  violence  and 
acrimonious  strife  were  mere  commonplaces  in  the  life  of  the 
times,  and  were  active  against  others  than  Mormons, —  notably 
against  Catholics,  Abolitionists,  alleged  "  claim- jumpers "  and 
horse-thieves,  also  against  many  people  innocent  of  all  offense. 
Had  the  Mormons  escaped,  we  might  have  credited  their  im- 
munity to  an  actual  "  miraculous  interposition."  That  they  did 
not  escape  seems  to  have  been  inevitable. 

Mormonism,  conspicuously  suffering  from  the  baleful  effects 
of  epidemic  hysteria,  whether  fostered  by  accredited  pulpiteers 
or  mere  "  wanton  gospelers,"  has  been  the  instrument  of  demon- 
strating that,  in  spite  of  our  boasted  culture  and  advancement,  in 
spite  of  our  intelligence  and  civilization,  the  spirit  of  persecution 
is  not  yet  dead.  That  similar  conclusions  have  been  reached  by 
prominent  and  well-informed  people  is  indicated  by  the  follow- 
ing from  a  speech  of  Judge  Jeremiah  S.  Black  before  the  Com- 
mittee on  Territories  of  the  tjnited  States  Senate. 

"  By  some  famous  preachers  the  policy  of  killing  the  Mormons  by 
wholesale,  unless  they  leave  their  property,  abandon  their  homes,  and 
flee  beyond  the  Union,  is  openly  advocated  and  apparently  concurred  in 
with  great  warmth  by  congregations  supposed  to  be  respectable ;  and  this 
is  accompanied  with  curses  loud  and  deep  upon  all  who  would  interpose  a 
constitutional  objection  to  that  method  of  dealing  with  them.  When 
we  read  of  such  things  in  history,  we  are  apt  to  think  them  diabolical. 
But,  approved  as  they  are  now  and  here  by  popular  judgment,  and  unre- 
buked  even  by  senatorial  wisdom,  we  must  concede,  I  suppose,  that  it  is 
very  good  taste  and  refined  humanity  disguised  in  a  new  dress. 

As  a  general  rule,  political  piety,  wherever  it  has  turned  up  the  whites 
of  its  eyes  in  this  country  or  in  Europe,  is  a  sham  and  a  false  pretense, 
but  in  this  exceptional  case  it  would  be  speaking  evil  of  dignities  to  call 
it  hypocrisy.  The  soundness  of  a  religion  which  slanders  a  Mormon  is 
not  to  be  questioned.  Equally  pure  is  the  act  of  a  returning  officer  who 
fraudulently  certifies  the  election  of  an  anti-Mormon  candidate  known  to 
be  defeated  by  a  majority  of  more  than  fifteen  to  one,  nor  will  we  attri- 
bute any  sordid  motive  to  those  residents  of  Utah,  official  and  private,  who 
busy  themselves  here  and  at  home  to  break  down  the  Territorial  govern- 
ment, seize  its  offices,  and  grab  its  money. 

Their  righteous  souls  are  vexed  from  day  to  day  by  the  mere  fact  that 
sinful  men  are  allowed  to  live  peaceful  and  prosperous  lives.  They  are 
animated  solely  by  disinterested  zeal  for  the  advancement  of  the  Lord's 
Kingdom,  which  in  their  judgment  would  be  much  obstructed  by  the 
further  continuance  of  free  goverment  in  Utah. —  Federal  Jurisdiction 
in  the  Territories,  p.  5. 

Judge  Black's  statements  in  this  particular  may  be  held  to 
have  such  weight  as  can  be  derived  from  the  careful  examina- 
tion of  a  subject  by  a  learned  and  experienced  judge  and  advo- 


6  THE  REAL  MORMONISM 

cate.  Since,  as  he  strongly  suggests,  anti-Mormon  agitators 
have  been  inconsistent  with  the  traditions  of  freedom  and  equal 
rights,  the  Mormons,  suffering  from  their  onslaughts,  have  been 
the  real  champions  of  American  institutions.  Says  R.  W. 
Sloan,  a  Mormon  writer: 

"  It  has  been  the  claim  of  the  Latter-day  Saints  that  in  making  a  de- 
fense in  their  own  behalf  they  have  been  fighting  for  liberty  in  behalf  of 
all  men.  At  first  blush  this  claim  seems  presumptuous.  But  if  it  be  ex- 
amined closely  there  will  be  found  much  to  justify  the  assumption.  Not 
that  they  have  courted  the  assaults  made  upon  them ;  but  as  a  peculiarity 
of  their  history,  no  action  against  them,  either  by  lawless  mobs  or  through 
legal  means,  has  ever  been  taken  that  was  not  in  violation  of  some  prin- 
ciple dear  to  every  liberty-loving  heart.  Thus,  in  defending  themselves, 
they  have  stood  manfully  for  principles  that  must  endure  forever,  and 
which,  violated  even  as  a  temporary  expedient,  or  in  response  to  '  the  ty- 
rant's devilish  plea ' —  necessity  — ■  bring  unerring  retribution  when  turned 
from  their  natural  purpose.  .  .  . 

"  It  is  because  of  this  phase  that  Mormonism  has  become  known  as  a 
*  vexed  problem';  because  of  this  also  that  men  possessed  of  instinctive 
statesmanship  have  never  touched  the  problem.  But  we  do  find  those  of 
vulpine  sagacity  —  madly  protesting,  despite  the  experience  of  all  times, 
temporary  evil  to  be  justifiable  that  worse  may  not  survive,  and  that  such 
a  departure  from  good  will  be  in  the  cause  of  good.  ...  It  was  on  this 
plea  —  a  temporarv  evil  on  behalf  of  permanent  good  —  that  the  advocates 
of  this  policy  urged  the  adoption  of  measures  against  the  Mormons  by 
Congress." —  The  Great  Contest,  p.  i. 

It  is  difficult  to  believe  that  the  American  people  and  the  Amer- 
ican Government,  pledged  as  they  are  to  safeguarding  the  rights 
of  humanity  at  large,  should  have  wittingly  perpetrated  such  in- 
justices as  the  Mormons  have  suffered.  Says  the  Hon.  Ambrose 
B.  Carlton: 

"  I  wish  deliberately  to  record  my  opinion  that  the  Mormons  have  been 
worse  misrepresented  and  lied  about  than  any  people  I  have  ever  met. 
Lies  about  them  have  been  made  out  of  whole  cloth;  venial  faults  and 
weaknesses  have  been  magnified  into  gross  and  monstrous  offenses,  and 
innocent  or  indiflferent  actions  have  been  misinterpreted. 

"  I  have  been  an  eye-witness  to  transactions,  in  which  the  Mormons 
were  cruelly  and  outrageously  abused  for  conduct  that  was  just  and  hon- 
orable. I  have  read  what  purported  to  be  Mormon  sermons,  that  were 
purely  fictitious ;  one  in  particular,  a  very  few  years  ago,  a  brutal,  blood- 
thirsty, disloyal  harangue,  alleged  to  have  been  delivered  by  '  Bishop  West 
of  Juab,'  on  a  certain  day,  whereas  in  truth  and  in  fact  no  such  sermon 
had  been  delivered  at  any  time  or  place,  and  it  was  acknowledged  after- 
$  wards  to  be  a  pure  and  simple  fabrication;  but  not  until  it  had  gone 
abroad  as  evidence  of  the  disloyalty  of  the  Mormons. 
^ "  Every  now  and  then  lies  are  set  afloat  that  the  Mormons  are  about  to 
rise  in  armed  insurrection ;  when,  in  truth,  I  can  say  after  nearly  seven 
years'  observation,  that  there  is  no  community  on  the  civilized  globe  less 
liable  than  the  Mormons  to  take  up  arms  against  the  government.  Po- 
lygamy aside,  the  Mormons  have  been  more  sinned  against  than  sinning." 
—  Wonderlands  of  the  Wild  West,  p.  151. 
Judge  Carlton  was  chairman  of  the  Utah  Commission,  ap- 


THE  MORMON  PROBLEM  7 

pointed  under  the  provisions  of  the  Edmunds  Law,  and  sent  to 
Utah  in  1882.  Although  opposed  to  plural  marriage  on  prin- 
ciple, he  was  otherwise  fair  to  the  Mormons,  as  will  be  shown 
later  by  other  quotations  from  his  writings. 

It  may  be  difficult  to  comprehend  the  surprising  state  of  af- 
fairs set  forth  in  the  foregoing  quotations.  In  view,  however, 
of  the  fact  that  anti-Mormon  persecutions  date  from  the  very 
birth  of  the  Mormon  Church,  the  explanation  offered  by  Qiarles 
Ellis,  a  former  clergyman  residing  in  Utah,  who  wrote  consid- 
erably in  defense  of  Mormonism,  although  he  never  joined  the 
Church,  may  be  accepted  tentatively.     Says  Mr.  Ellis: 

"From  its  appearance,  Mormonism  has  been  hated  by  the  evangelical 
sects  as  a  heresy.  The  cry  against  its  polygamy,  as  being  a  danger  to  so- 
ciety, and  the  cry  against  its  priesthood,  as  being  a  danger  to  the  govern- 
ment, have  never  been  more  than  a  subterfuge,  the  object  being  to  detract 
attention  from  the  real  fight,  which  was  to  destroy  the  Mormon  heresy. 
This  statement  will  bear  full  investigation.  .  .  .  Why  has  Mormonism 
been  so  much  misunderstood?  Simply  because  the  evangelical  churches 
saw  in  its  success  their  own  downfall  and  they  dared  not  let  their  own 
followers  know  what  Mormonism  was,  lest  they  should  embrace  it. 

"As  compared  with  the  evangelical  conception  of  life  here  and  here- 
after, of  God  and  the  glories  of  immortality,  Mormonism  is  as  a  Rocky- 
Mountain  day  in  May  compared  to  a  New  England  day  in  March,  when 
the  wind  is  east  and  the  sun  is  veiled.  Such  being  the  case,  it  may  be 
readily  understood  that  an  investigation  of  early  Mormon  history  in  Utah 
will  reveal  a  very  diflferent  spirit  from  that  which  has  been  talked  about, 
and  written  and  preached  against  in  the  east  for  nearly  half  a  century." 
—  Utah,  1847  to  1870,  /».  5. 

A  sufficiently  large  number  of  the  stock  allegations  urged 
against  the  Mormon  Church  and  people  will  be  discussed  and 
analyzed  on  later  pages.  It  would  be,  consequently,  both  unnec- 
essary and  unprofitable  to  give  them  here.  We  are  concerned 
most  particularly  with  such  an  analysis  and  discussion  of  the 
system  and  its  claims  as  will  enable  the  reader  to  derive  an  in- 
telligent idea  of  an  object  of  so  much  detestation,  and,  possibly 
also,  some  of  the  reasons  why  it  has  been  so  much  detested. 

In  the  first  place,  Mormonism  claims  to  be  a  religious  system 
—  furthermore  a  Christian  system  of  belief  and  practice  —  and 
bases  its  first  and  strongest  appeal  on  the  profession  that  it  is 
the  true,  original  Gospel  of  Christ,  perfectly  restored  on  earth 
after  the  apostasy  of  the  whole  of  the  "  Christian  world,"  be- 
cause of  traditions  that  have  **  made  God's  law  of  none  effect." 
In  making  even  so  radical  a  claim  as  this  the  system  is  not  per- 
fectly unique :  its  assertion  seems  to  hark  back  to  "  reforma- 
tion "  times,  indeed,  and  to  savor  of  a  spirit  of  confidence  that 
has,  whether  rightly  or  wrongly,  inspired  the  promulgators  and 
founders  of  several  antecedent  sects  and  systems.  Why  it  is 
materially  worse  in  Joseph  Smith  to  promulgate  a  new  system  of 


8  THE  REAL  MORMONISM 

thought  and  practice,  or  to  interpret  the  Word  of  God  anew, 
than  the  same  attempt  in  John  Calvin,  Martin  Luther,  or  any 
other  "  reformer  "  or  leader,  is  a  question  that  should  logically 
occur  to  the  candid  and  unbiassed  mind.  To  answer  in  the 
words  of  his  opponents  that  he  was  a  man  of  contemptible  char- 
acter, a  drunkard,  imposter  and  self-interested  exploiter  of  cre- 
dulity, also  an  ignoramus  or  an  "  epileptic,"  is  evidently  no 
answer  at  all;  since  persons  possessing  the  shortcomings  and 
afflictions  in  question  are  not  the  most  likely  to  accomplish  mem- 
orable results,  even  with  the  best  efforts.  Furthermore,  the 
most  highly  esteemed  founders  of  sects  and  systems  in  the  past 
—  even  the  vigorous  and  intrepid  Luther,  or  the  gloomy  and  in- 
tellectual Calvin  —  seem,  all  of  them,  to  have  labored  under  the 
handicaps  of  serious  personal  faults  and  failings,  oftentimes 
quite  as  serious  as  even  the  drunkenness  and  ignorance  alleged 
against  Joseph  Smith.  But,  quite  apart  from  all  personal  con- 
siderations, the  ideas  and  beliefs  promulgated  by  any  of  these 
men  must  be  judged  according  to  their  consistency  with  reason. 
Scripture,  or  other  accepted  standard  of  authority,  and  recom- 
mended or  rejected  accordingly.  Since  Joseph  Smith  was  also 
a  man,  one  possessed,  presumably,  of  several  of  the  virtues  and 
failings  common  to  humanity,  there  can  be  alleged  no  sufficient 
reason  for  dealing  with  him  by  any  other  method.  If  the  ideas 
which  he  originated,  or  promulgated,  or  which  were  originated, 
as  some  have  alleged,  by  certain  of  his  associates,  are  found  to 
be  unworthy  of  serious  consideration,  we  must  recognize  that  he 
was  only  another  among  the  host  of  "  guessers,"  who  have  con- 
fidently announced  themselves  as  "  solvers  "of  the  "  great  prob- 
lem "  of  life.  If  his  teachings  contain  aught  that  is  worthy  or 
excellent,  it  is  no  more  than  just  that  he  should  be  given  credit 
as  a  vigorous  and  independent  thinker  and  leader  —  even  though 
one  may  not  feel  constrained  to  accept  his  leadership  —  and 
that,  quite  apart  from  the  failings  of  character  and  conduct  that 
he  may  have  manifested  at  any  period  of  his  life.  The  same 
candid  and  honest  spirit  of  investigation  has  been  invoked  in 
dealing  with  the  teachings  of  all  the  ancient  and  "heathen" 
sages  and  teachers ;  nor  is  there  any  good  reason  why  the  system 
popularly  known  as  "  Mormonism  "  should  be  ignored  and  mis- 
represented by  people  otherwise  supposed  to  be  intelligent.  Even 
though  Smith  claimed  to  have  received  "  revelations  "  from  the 
Almighty  —  and  many  people  believe  that  this  is  impossible,  now- 
adays at  least  —  it  is  a  highly  reasonable  act  to  examine  his 
utterances  and  history,  in  order  to  found  a  just  estimate  on  his 
character  and  influence  than  merely  to  dwell  on  the  often  ribald 
accusations  of  unknown  and  irresponsible  "  old  neighbors  "  and 


THE  MORMON  PROBLEM  9 

"prominent  citizens,"  whose  accusations   against  him  and  his 
family  form  the  bulk  of  the  case  against  Mormonism. 

It  may  be  proper  to  state  at  this  point  that,  on  the  basis  of  an 
exhaustive  and  prolonged  study  of  Joseph  Smith  and  of  the  sys- 
tem founded  by  him,  the  writer  of  the  present  work  is  convinced 
that  both  deserve  better  of  the  world  than  they  have  as  yet  re- 
ceived ;  that  there  is  an  immense  amount  of  the  greatest  value,  to 
both  thought  and  life,  in  the  teachings  of  Mormonism,  and  that, 
whether  an  inspired  prophet  of  God,  or  not,  Joseph  Smith  is  en- 
titled to  his  place,  and  a  conspicuous  one  at  that,  among  historic 
thinkers,  leaders  and  reformers.  In  spite  of  the  dense  ignorance 
and  venal  character  alleged  against  him,  he  interpreted  the  re- 
ligious life  in  an  entirely  new,  and  decidedly  notable  light;  he 
dealt  with  the  historic  dilemma  of  "  faith  and  works "  in  a 
manner  that  cannot  but  excite  the  admiration  of  the  candid  and 
informed  reader;  he  handled  the  problems  of  life  in  a  manner 
that  showed  the  master-mind;  finally,  he  originated  a  system  of 
social  and  community  organization  that  is  of  the  highest  signifi- 
cance to  sociological  theory,  as  the  first  of  its  kind  attempting 
to  deal  with  the  "  problems  "  of  himian  life  that  really  seems  to 
solve  them  rationally,  and,  at  the  same  time,  to  possess  any  of 
the  elements  of  permanence  and  efficiency.  Surely,  the  historic 
originator  of  all  this  —  whether  "  inspired  "  or  not,  or  whether 
assisted  by  others  or  not  —  deserves  earnest  and  careful  atten- 
tion, and  the  best  efforts  of  which  the  investigator  is  capable,  in 
order  to  unravel  his  significance  to  the  world  and  to  the  history 
of  thought. 


CHAPTER  II 

THE  RIDDLE  OF   JOSEPH   SMITH 

The  name  of  Joseph  Smith,  founder  of  Mormonism  and  pro- 
fessed prophet  of  God,  is  destined,  doubtless,  as  was  said  to  him 
in  one  of  his  reported  visions,  to  ''  be  good  and  evil  spoken  of 
among  all  peoples."  Apart  from  anything  that  may  inspire  re- 
spect or  evoke  mistrust,  moving  one  to  admire  or  dislike  him,  he 
remains  one  of  the  most  romantic  figures  in  history,  also,  per- 
haps, one  of  the  most  problematical.  Although  born  of  simple- 
minded  and  largely  unlettered  parents  and  reared  in  a  wilder- 
ness, with  only  moderate  educational  advantages,  his  first  ap- 
pearance before  the  world  is  in  the  role  of  leader  and  teacher  of 
religion,  and  the  promulgator  of  a  system  of  doctrine  and  life 
that  is  at  once  intelligent,  logical,  practical  and  persistent.  His 
personality  was  such  that  it  lent  cogency  to  his  teachings,  and 
his  teachings  have  been  accepted  by  thousands,  who  still  hold 
his  name  in  reverence  and  endorse  his  every  profession  to  a 
divine  mission  in  the  world. 

Few  men  have  been  worse  hated,  on  the  one  hand,  or  more 
thoroughly  beloved  on  the  other,  in  all  the  world's  history.  It 
seems  strange,  indeed,  that  a  man  of  inconspicuous  origin  and 
defective  worldly  advantages,  "  a  youth  to  fortune  and  to  fame 
unknown,"  should  have  appeared  so  near  to  our  own  time  to  play 
such  a  part,  and  to  win  such  distinguished  regard.  To  the  fair- 
minded  student  of  his  career  Joseph  Smith  must  appear  as  a 
veritable  riddle,  a  character  not  readily  to  be  estimated  at  its  full 
value,  because  evidently  so  many-sided,  so  versatile  and  so  force- 
ful. If  it  is  difficult  for  any  of  us  to  understand  the  "  secret  of 
his  influence,"  the  reason  for  the  lofty  reverence  of  his  followers, 
it  must  be  equally  difficult  to  comprehend  the  superlative  bitter- 
ness of  his  enemies,  particularly  if  we  be  asked  to  countenance 
or  justify  the  deliberate  lies  that  they  have  told  about  him  and 
the  savage  truculence  with  which  they  have  opposed  him  and  his 
followers. 

The  personality  of  Joseph  Smith,  which  those  who  knew  him, 
as  friends  and  sympathizers,  describe  as  wonderfully  magnetic 

10 


THE  RIDDLE  OF  JOSEPH  SMITH  ii 

and  masterful,  evidently  possessing  power  and  exerting  influ- 
ence, is  characterized  by  others  as  "  uncouth,"  *'  awkward," 
"  vulgar "  and  otherwise  disagreeable.  Thus,  this  man  who 
could  command  the  devotion  of  thousands  of  sane  and  normal 
people,  not  only  in  days  of  calm  prosperity,  but  in  the  midst  of 
hardship  and  persecution  —  yet  some  people  will  tell  us  that 
many  of  Smith's  disciples  were  attracted  by  the  prospects  of 
material  benefits,  not  otherwise  available  to  them  —  is  repre- 
sented to  the  intelligent  public  as  some  sort  of  buffoon  or  whole- 
sale "  confidence  man."  Such  representations  are  familiar  in 
the  several  "  testimonies  "  of  anonymous  "  ladies  "  and  "  gentle- 
men," who  seem  to  vie  with  the  affidaviting  "  old  neighbors " 
and  "  prominent  citizens,"  none  of  whom  figure  very  largely  in 
history  —  unless,  as  asserted,  a  few  were  "  revolutionary  sol- 
diers " —  in  making  descriptions  which  do  not  describe.  Among 
such  is  the  often-quoted  "  Girl's  Letter  from  Nauvoo,"  which 
contains  the  following: 

"  Joseph  Smith  is  a  large,  stout  man,  youthful  in  his  appearance,  with 
light  complexion  and  hair,  and  blue  eyes  set  far  back  in  the  head,  and  ex- 
pressing great  shrewdness,  or  I  should  say,  cunning.  He  has  a  large 
head,  and  phrenologists  would  unhesitatingly  pronounce  it  a  bad  one,  for 
the  organs  situated  in  the  back  part  are  decidedly  more  prominent.  He  is 
also  very  round  shouldered.  He  had  just  returned  from  Springfield, 
where  he  had  been  upon  trial  for  some  crime  of  which  he  was  accused 
while  in  Missouri,  but  he  was  released  by  habeas  corpus.  I,  who  had 
expected  to  be  overwhelmed  by  his  eloquence,  was  never  more  disap- 
pointed than  when  he  commenced  his  discourse  by  relating  all  the  inci- 
dents of  his  journey.  This  he  did  in  a  loud  voice,  and  his  language  and 
manner  were  the  coarsest  possible.  His  object  seemed  to  be  to  amuse 
and  excite  laughter  in  his  audience.  He  is  evidently  a  great  egotist  and 
boaster,  for  he  frequently  remarked  that  at  every  place  he  stopped,  going 
to  and  from  Springfield,  people  crowded  around  him,  and  expressed 
surprise  that  he  was  so  *  handsome  and  good  looking.*  He  also  exclaimed 
at  the  close  of  almost  every  sentence,  *  That's  the  idea ! ' " 

Although  the  maidenly  prejudices  and  phrenological  predilec- 
tions of  this  "  girl "  have  evidently  led  her  to  discount  the  abili- 
ties of  Mr.  Smith,  it  is  necessary  to  remark  only  that  most  of 
his  published  discourses  seem  to  be  of  a  far  different  character 
from  the  one  presumably  heard  on  this  occasion.  It  must  be 
refreshing,  however,  to  the  candid  reader  of  the  present  day  to 
learn  that  Mr.  Smith  possessed  sufficient  sense  of  humor  to  ap- 
preciate the  absurdity  of  many  of  the  so-called  legal  proceedings 
that  were  brought  agamst  him.  That  he  described  them  in  the 
humorous  language  suggested  in  this  passage  is  scarcely  remark- 
able. His  critic  was  evidently  deficient  in  ability  to  comprehend 
some  situations. 

Compared  with  the  common  run  of  estimates  and  incidents  re- 
garding this  man's  personality  and  character,  we  have  the  famous 


12  THE  REAL  MORMONISM 

account  written  by  Josiah  Quincy,  son  of  the  famous  Josiah 
Quincy,  and,  himself,  at  one  time,  Mayor  of  Boston,  which  is 
competent  in  evidence  to  show  how  Smith  affected  a  really  in- 
telligent and  experienced  mind.     It  is  partly  as  follows: 

"  It  is  by  no  means  improbable  that  some  future  text  book,  for  the 
use  of  generations  yet  unborn,  will  contain  a  question  something  like 
this:  What  historical  American  of  the  nineteenth  century  has  exerted 
the  most  powerful  influence  upon  the  destinies  of  his  countrymen?  And 
it  is  by  no  means  impossible  that  the  answer  to  that  interrogatory  may 
be  thus  written :  Joseph  Smith,  the  Mormon  Prophet.  And  the  reply, 
absurd  as  it  doubtless  seems  to  most  men  now  living,  may  be  an  obvious 
common-place  to  their  descendants.  History  deals  in  surprises  and  para- 
doxes quite  as  startling  as  this.  The  man  who  established  a  religion 
in  this  age  of  free  debate,  who  was  and  is  to-day  accepted  by  hundreds  of 
thousands  as  a  direct  emissary  from  the  Most  High  —  such  a  rare  human 
being  is  not  to  be  disposed  of  by  pelting  his  memory  with  unsavory 
epithets.  Fanatic,  imposter,  charlatan,  he  may  have  been;  but  these 
hard  names  furnish  no  solution  to  the  problem  he  presents  to  us. 
Fanatics  and  imposters  are  living  and  dying  every  day,  and  their  memory 
is  buried  with  them;  but  the  wonderful  influence  which  this  founder 
of  a  religion  exerted  and  still  exerts  throws  him  into  relief  before  us, 
not  as  a  rogue  to  be  criminated,  but  as  a  phenomenon  to  be  explained. 
The  most  vital  questions  Americans  are  asking  each  other  to-day  have 
to  do  with  this  man  and  what  he  has  left  us.  ...  A  generation  other 
than  mine  must  deal  with  these  questions.  Burning  questions  they  are, 
which  must  give  a  prominent  place  in  the  history  of  the  country  to  that 
sturdy  self-asserter  whom  I  visited  at  Nauvoo." — Figures  of  the  Past, 
P'  367. 

Although  Mr.  Quincy  states  at  another  place,  that  Smith 
"mingled  Utopian  fallacies  with  his  shrewd  suggestions,"  many 
of  which  he  was  compelled  to  endorse  in  the  highest  terms,  and 
that  "  he  talked  as  from  a  strong  mind  utterly  unenlightened  by 
the  teachings  of  history,"  he  concludes,  as  follows: 

"  Born  in  the  lowest  ranks  of  poverty,  without  book-learning  and  with 
the  homeliest  of  all  human  names,  he  had  made  himself  at  the  age  of 
thirty-nine  a  power  upon  earth.  Of  the  multitudinous  family  of  Smith, 
from  Adam  down  (Adam  of  the  Wealth  of  Nations,  I  mean),  none  had 
so  won  human  hearts  and  shaped  human  lives  as  this  Joseph.  His  in- 
fluence, whether  for  good  or  for  evil,  is  potent  to-day,  and  the  end  is 
not  yet.  I  have  endeavored  to  give  the  details  of  my  visit  to  the  Mormon 
Prophet  with  absolute  accuracy.  If  the  reader  does  not  know  just  what 
to  make  of  Joseph  Smith,  I  cannot  help  him  out  of  the  difficulty.  I 
myself  stand  helpless  before  the  puzzle." 

We  may  be  prepared,  then,  for  the  statement  that  a  careful 
study  of  Smith's  life  and  work,  such  as  would  be  cheerfully 
accorded  to  any  other  character  in  history  —  and  even  Judas 
Iscariot  has  had  his  defenders  —  will  reveal  the  surprising  fact 
that,  where  many  writers  have  found  only  a  vulgar  and  corrupt 
charlatan,  we  shall  discern  a  born  leader  of  men,  one  possessed 
of  force  and  intellect,  a  real  reformer  along  several  lines,  a  thor- 
ough student  of  the  Bible,  and  a  teacher  of  religion,  morals. 


I 


THE  RIDDLE  OF  JOSEPH  SMITH  13 


sociology  and  government  with  a  real  message,  who  evidently 
attempted  to  justify  his  every  claim  to  the  intelligence  of  man- 
kind. 

At  the  very  beginning  of  our  study  we  find  a  host  of  alleged 
"affidavits"  embodying  the  famiUar  traditional  accusations 
against  Joseph  Smith  and  all  his  family,  alleging  depravity  of 
several  orders,  both  ordinary  and  extraordinary,  which  are 
"  swallowed  whole,  hair,  hide  and  hoofs,"  in  spite  of  various  in- 
consistencies and  irrelevancies,  by  the  average  critic  and  "  stu- 
dent" of  Mormonism.  Thus,  in  the  words  of  one  Pomeroy 
Tucker,  who  has  been  largely  quoted  by  all  subsequent  "  inves- 
tigators," we  learn  that : 

"  At  this  period  in  the  life  and  career  of  Joseph  Smith,  Jr.,  or  Joe 
Smith,  as  he  was  universally  named,  and  the  Smith  family,  they  were 
popularly  regarded  as  an  illiterate,  whiskey-drinking,  shiftless,  irre- 
ligious race  of  people  —  the  first  named,  the  chief  subject  of  this 
biography,  being  unanimously  voted  the  laziest  and  most  worthless  of 
the  generation.  From  the  age  of  twelve  to  twenty  years  he  is  distinctly 
remembered  as  a  dull-eyed,  flaxen-haired,  prevaricating  boy  —  noted  only 
for  his  indolent  and  vagabondish  character,  and  his  habits  of  exaggera- 
tion and  untruthfulness." 

Admitting  fully  the  genuineness  of  the  "  testimony "  upon 
which  these  statements  are  based,  its  competence  is  not  estab- 
lished —  things  "  unanimously  voted  "  and  "  distinctly  remem- 
bered "  in  this  way  are  not  always  the  justest  and  most  intelli- 
gent things  that  may  be  said  of  people.  We  must  remember, 
also,  that,  had  Smith  become  a  poet,  artist  or  writer  of  fiction, 
or  even  a  conspicuous  figure  in  any  other  walk  of  life  than  that 
which  he  selected,  he  would  have  been  remembered  as  a  "  dreamy 
and  introspective  boy,"  instead  of  one  possessing  an  "  indolent 
and  vagabondish  character."  If  we  may  judge  from  the  careers 
and  characters  of  many  of  the  people  noted  in  these  other 
"walks,"  we  must  understand  that  the  variant  estimates  in  the 
two  cases,  as  explained,  indicate  differing  "  animus  "  in  the  wit- 
nesses, rather  than  differing  conditions  in  the  environments  and 
characters  of  the  subjects.  As  for  the  remarks  on  "  illiterate, 
whiskey-drinking,  shiftless"  parents,  whatever  may  have  been 
the  real  facts  in  the  present  case,  the  "  cloven  foot  "  of  slanderous 
rural  gossip  is  only  too  plainly  evident.  We  should  have  ex- 
pected to  hear  that  Smith's  father  had  been  a  notorious  house- 
breaker, highwayman  or  horse-thief,  instead  of  merely  illiterate 
and  shiftless.  A  man  of  such  a  character  would,  very  probably, 
have  been  of  a  grade  of  intelligence  and  energy  likely  to  beget  a 
son  capable  of  engineering  "  hoaxes."  To  ask  the  public  to  be- 
lieve that  a  merely  worthless  and  indolent  father  can  account 
for  such  a  movement  as  Mormonism  is  only  to  insult  intelli- 


14  THE  REAL  MORMONISM 

gence,  and  betray  one's  own  spite,  ignorance  and  credulity.  Of 
very  similar  value  are  most  of  the  "  affidavits "  presented  by 
Howe,  Tucker,  and  others.  Of  these  the  following  is  a  good 
sample : 

"  We,  the  undersigned,  being  personally  acquainted  with  the  family 
of  Joseph  Smith,  Sr.,  with  whom  the  Gold  Bible,  so  called,  originated, 
state:  That  they  were  not  only  a  lazy,  indolent  set  of  men,  but  also 
intemperate,  and  their  word  was  not  to  be  depended  upon ;  and  that  we 
are  truly  glad  to  dispense  with  their  society." 

Eleven  "  prominent  citizens  of  Manchester  "  apparently  swore 
to  this  "  instrument,"  thus  guaranteeing  its  truth  "  to  the  best 
of  their  knowledge  and  belief,"  but  why  any  man  sufficiently  in- 
telligent to  write  a  grammatically-constructed  book  should  con- 
sider it  worth  quoting  as  authority  is  very  nearly  incomprehen- 
sible. Without  attempting  to  clear  the  characters  of  Joseph 
Smith,  or  those  of  any  of  his  family,  we  must  protest  that  the 
futility  of  such  testimony  is  amply  demonstrated  in  the  fact  that 
it  never  attempts  to  make  really  serious  criminal  charges,  and  is 
to  be  discredited  as  mere  **  railing  accusation." 

Nor,  in  protesting  against  this  kind  of  "  testimony  "  can  we  be 
justly  charged  with  partiality:  we  complain  only  because  we 
hear  nothing  worse,  something  colossal,  enterprising  and  really 
depraved.  In  view  of  the  results  achieved  by  him,  we  are  bound 
te  recognize  in  Joseph  Smith  a  really  exceptional  man,  one 
worthy  to  rank  far  above  the  average  of  his  associates  in  point  of 
native  abilities.  If  he  was  altogether  evil,  therefore,  an  "  im- 
poster,"  demagogue  and  self-seeking  scoundrel,  he  must  certainly 
have  been  more  than  merely  idle  and  drunken  in  his  youth. 
But,  here  we  have  no  more  serious  accusations  than  he  himself 
pleads  guilty  to,  when,  as  he  says  in  his  journal,  he  fell  into 
"  many  foolish  errors,  and  displayed  the  weakness  of  youth,  and 
the  foibles  of  human  nature,  offensive  in  the  sight  of  God."  He 
had  the  grace,  at  least,  to  acknowledge  such  shortcomings  as  may 
have  been  committed  by  him :  nor  does  he  offer  excuses  or  "  ex- 
planations." 

Apart  from  the  evident  reasonableness  of  such  a  line  of  criti- 
cism, it  is  only  just  to  say  that  the  allegations  of  superlative 
worthlessness  made  against  the  family  of  Joseph  Smith  are  en- 
tirely unproven  by  any  decent  show  of  evidence.  The  behavior 
of  his  parents  and  brothers  in  after-life  shows  no  signs  of  the 
faults  so  confidently  stated  in  the  affidavits  of  "  old  neighbors  " 
and  "prominent  citizens,"  who  evidently  follow  the  prevalent 
uncharity  of  judgment  in  ascribing  poverty  and  business  inca- 
pacity to  "  shiftlessness,  whiskey-drinking  and  general  worthless- 
ness of  character."     Such  allegations,  however,  have  played  their 


THE  RIDDLE  OF  JOSEPH  SMITH  15 

full  part  in  prejudicing  the  mind  of  the  public  against  Mr.  Smith, 
as  a  man  of  "  humble  origin  and  unfortunate  early  influences," 
who  has  presumed  to  rise  above  the  level  in  which  he  originated. 
It  is  curious  that  such  handicaps,  which,  if  present,  should  rather 
excite  the  compassion  of  generous  and  informed  minds,  should 
become  occasions  for  violent  abuse  and  denunciation  from  the 
preachers  of  religion  and  the  intelligent  public  in  general  in  a 
nation,  theoretically,  at  least,  emancipated  from  the  sickening 
traditions  of  hereditary  aristocracy.  In  Smith's  case,  this  un- 
worthy line  of  criticism  has  been  carried  to  a  disgusting  extreme. 

Perfectly  similarly,  we  read  in  several  anti-Smith  productions 
that  he  himself  was  so  given  to  over-indulgence  in  alcoholic 
drinks  that  "  even  his  own  followers  admit "  the  fault.  Careful 
search  among  the  published  statements  of  his  "  followers  "  re- 
veals no  such  admission,  even  by  implication,  except  in  a  remark 
ascribed  to  Martin  Harris,  and  his  would-be  accusers,  clerical  and 
literary,  have  forgotten  to  give  the  references.  It  is  quite  certain, 
however,  that  had  Mr.  Smith  been  addicted  to  the  excessive  use 
of  alcohol  from  his  youth  onward,  he  would  probably  have  shown 
its  effects  in  some  definite  impairment  of  his  energies,  and  cer- 
tainly in  defective  courage  to  face  the  truculent  assaults  of  ene- 
mies, directed,  as  they  were,  by  intelligent  and  relentless  leaders. 

In  the  case  of  Joseph  Smith,  as  may  be  claimed  with  some  show 
of  reason,  there  is  no  element  or  motive  that  explains  his  career 
quite  so  well  as  his  sufficient  and  unfailing  belief  in  the  reality 
of  his  authority  to  teach  and  preach  in  the  name  of  God.  This 
involves,  of  course,  a  sufficient  belief  in  his  own  mind  in  the 
reality  of  the  several  visions  and  revelations  which  he  claims  to 
have  had.  Nor  is  it  essential  to  our  argument  that  we  determine, 
theoretically  at  least,  what  was,  or  probably  must  have  been  the 
real  nature  of  the  various  experiences,  which  Joseph  Smith  at- 
tributed to  direct  divine  agency.  The  entire  course  of  his  life 
certainly  furnishes  an  excellent  argument  for  the  conclusion  that 
he  himself  believed  implicitly  and  firmly  in  their  reality  and  au- 
thority. It  seems  safe,  then,  to  assert  with  confidence  that, 
whether  dreams,  delusions  or  actualities,  they  played  their  full 
part  in  stimulating  a  mind  whose  products  have  valuably  enlight- 
ened the  world  in  several  important  particulars,  as  will  be  ex- 
plained later.  If  they  be  held  to  have  been  of  purely  pathological 
import,  as  has  been  suggested  by  one  or  two  slovenly  theorizers, 
the  fact  still  remains  that  the  consequent  productions  of  the  mind 
of  Mr.  Smith,  stimulated  by  a  conviction  of  their  reality  and 
divine  authority,  are  positively  not  characterized  by  any  patho- 
logical element  whatever ;  being  rather  admirable  and  highly  prac- 
tical solutions  of   sociological,  moral  and   religious  difficulties, 


i6  THE  REAL  MORMONISM 

which  have  defied  the  ingenuity  of  thinkers  and  religionists  of 
other  persuasions  to  this  very  day.  If,  finally,  for  the  mere  sake 
of  gratifying  sundry  critics  who  talk  more  than  they  think  or 
investigate,  we  assume  that  Smith's  reported  visions  and  revela- 
tions were  deliberate  fictions,  we  cannot  escape  the  conclusion 
that,  in  his  speech  and  actions,  he  displayed  a  masterly  imitation 
of  real  conviction;  thus  adding  excellent  histrionic  ability  to  his 
other  talents.  It  has  been  said  that  a  falsehood  persistently  told 
presently  assumes  the  symptoms  of  reality  in  the  falsifier's  mind. 
Such  alleged  fact,  however,  cannot  vitiate  the  evident  conclusion 
that  the  several  excellent  institutions,  ecclesiastical  and  otherwise, 
devised,  or  promulgated,  by  this  same  person,  seem  altogether 
more  perfect  than  anything  that  should  be  demanded,  in  all  pro- 
priety, to  lend  mere  verisimilitude  to  an  original  misrepresenta- 
tion. We  make  Mr.  Smith  work  altogether  too  hard  and  too 
well,  if  we  assume  merely  that  all  these  things  were  done  to 
uphold  the  alleged  truth  of  a  fable  that  had  been  already  so 
eagerly  accepted  by  hundreds  of  people  on  his  simple  word  of 
mouth. 

The  following  passages  give  the  account  of  Joseph  Smith's 
professed  experiences  in  his  own  words: 

"  Some  time  in  the  second  year  after  our  removal  to  Manchester, 
there  was  in  the  place  where  we  lived  an  unusual  excitement  on  the 
subject  of  religion.  It  commenced  with  the  Methodists,  but  soon  became 
general  among  all  the  sects  in  that  region  of  the  country.  Indeed,  the 
whole  district  of  country  seemed  affected  by  it,  and  great  multitudes 
united  themselves  to  the  different  religious  parties,  which  created  no 
small  stir  and  division  amongst  the  people,  some  crying,  *  Lo,  here ! ' 
and  others,  '  Lo,  there ! '  Some  were  contending  for  the  Methodist  faith, 
some  for  the  Presbyterian,  and  some  for  the  Baptist.  For  notwith- 
standing the  great  love  which  the  converts  to  these  different  faiths 
expressed  at  the  time  of  their  conversion,  and  the  great  zeal  manifested 
by  the  respective  clergy,  who  were  active  in  getting  up  and  promoting 
this  extraordinary  scene  of  religious  feeling,  in  order  to  have  everybody 
converted,  as  they  were  pleased  to  call  it,  let  them  join  what  sect  they 
pleased  —  yet  when  the  converts  began  to  file  off,  some  to  one  party 
and  some  to  another,  it  was  seen  that  the  seemingly  good  feelings  of 
both  the  priests  and  the  converts  were  more  pretended  than  real ;  for  a 
scene  of  great  confusion  and  bad  feeling  ensued;  priest  contending 
against  priest,  and  convert  against  convert;  so  that  all  their  good 
feelings  one  for  another,  if  they  ever  had  any,  were  entirely  lost  in  a 
strife  of  words  and  a  contest  about  opinions. 

"  I  was  at  this  time  in  my  fifteenth  year.  My  father's  family  was 
proselyted  to  the  Presbyterian  faith,  and  four  of  them  joined  that 
church,  namely  —  my  mother  Lucy;  my  brothers  Hyrum  and  Samuel 
Harrison;  and  my  sister  Sophronia.  During  this  time  of  great  excite- 
ment, my  mind  was  called  up  to  serious  reflection  and  great  uneasiness ; 
but  though  my  feelings  were  deep  and  often  poignant,  still  I  kept  myself 
aloof  from  all  these  parties,  though  I  attended  their  several  meetings  as 
often  as  occasion  would  permit.  In  process  of  time  my  mind  became 
somewhat  partial  to  the  Methodist  sect,  and  I  felt  some  desire  to  be 


THE  RIDDLE  OF  JOSEPH  SMITH  17 

united  with  them;  but  so  great  were  the  confusion  and  strife  among 
the  different  denominations,  that  it  was  impossible  for  a  person  young 
as  I  was,  and  so  unacquainted  with  men  and  things,  to  come  to  any 
certain  conclusion  who  was  right  and  who  was  wrong.  My  mind  at 
times  was  greatly  excited,  the  cry  and  tumult  were  so  great  and  incessant. 
The  Presbyterians  were  most  decided  against  the  Baptists  and  Method- 
ists, and  used  all  the  powers  of  both  reason  and  sophistry  to  prove  their 
errors,  or,  at  least,  to  make  the  people  think  they  were  in  error.  On 
the  other  hand,  the  Baptists  and  Methodists  in  their  turn  were  equally 
zealous  in  endeavoring  to  establish  their  own  tenets  and  disprove  all 
others," — History  of  the  Church,  Vol.  I,  pp.  2-4. 

In  reading  this  passage  one  cannot  doubt  that  it  gives  a  faithful 
picture  of  the  times  (1820),  both  in  the  sectarian  quarrels  and  in 
the  mental  perturbations  likely  to  occur  in  young  persons  of  sus- 
ceptible organization.     In  fact,  we  have  no  reason  whatever  for 
doubting  that  such  were  the  actual  experiences  of  the  youthful 
Smith,  and  that  he  records  them  truthfully.     He  further  records 
that  he  determined  to  put  his  doubts  to  the  test  of  Scriptural 
authority,  which  was  another  thing  largely  done  at  that  period, 
and  that,  in  the  course  of  his  readings,  he  came  upon  the  passage 
(James  I.5)  "  If  any  of  you  lack  wisdom,  let  him  ask  of  God 
.  .  .  and  it  shall  be  given  him."     So  stirred  was  he  by  this  ad- 
monition, he  records,  that  he  determined  to  put  it  to  the  test. 
The  results  may  be  best  explained  in  his  own  words.     In  the  same 
narration  previously  quoted,  he  proceeds  with  the  following: 
"  After  I  had  retired  to  the  place  where  I  had  previously  designed  to 
go,  having  looked  around  me,  and  finding  myself  alone,  I  kneeled  down 
and  began  to  offer  up  the  desires  of  my  heart  to  God.     I  had  scarcely 
done  so,  when  immediately  I  was  seized  upon  by  some  power  which 
entirely  overcame  me,  and  had  such  an  astonishing  influence  over  me 
as  to  bind  my  tongue  so  that  I  could  not  speak.    Thick  darkness  gathered 
around  me,  and  it  seemed  to  me  for  a  time  as  if  I  were  doomed  to 
sudden  destruction.    But,  exerting  all  my  powers  to  call  upon  God  to 
deliver  me  out  of  the  power  of  this  enemy  which  had  seized  upon  me, 
and  at  the  very  moment  when  I  was  ready  to  sink  into  despair  and 
abandon  myself  to  destruction  —  not  to  an  imaginary  ruin,  but  to  the 
power  of   some   actual   being   from  the  unseen   world,   who  had  such 
marvelous  power  as  I  had  never  before  felt  in  any  being  —  just  at  this 
moment  of  great  alarm,  I  saw  a  pillar  of  light  exactly  over  my  head, 
above  the  brightness  of  the  sun,  which  descended  gradually  until  it 
fell  upon  me. 

"It  no  sooner  appeared  than  I  found  myself  delivered  from  the  enemy 
which  held  me  bound.  When  the  light  rested  upon  me  I  saw  two 
personages,  whose  brightness  and  glory  defy  all  description,  standing 
above  me  in  the  air.  One  of  them  spake^  unto  me,  calling  me  by  name, 
and  said,  pointing  to  the  other  — '  This  is  my  beloved  son,  hear  him.' 
"  My  object  in  going  to  inquire  of  the  Lord  was  to  know  which  of  all 
the  sects  was  right,  that  I  might  know  which  to  join.  No  sooner,  there- 
fore, did  I  get  possession  of  myself,  so  as  to  be  able  to  speak,  than  I 
asked  the  personages  who  stood  above  me  in  the  light,  which  of  all  the 
sects  was  right  —  and  which  I  should  join.  I  was  answered  that  I 
must  join  none  of  them,  for  they  were  all  wrong,  and  the  personage  who 


i8  THE  REAL  MORMONISM 

addressed  me  said  that  all  their  creeds  were  an  abomination  in  His 
sight :  that  those  professors  were  all  corrupt :  that '  they  draw  near  to  me 
with  their  lips,  but  their  hearts  are  far  from  me;  they  teach  for  doc- 
trines the  commandments  of  men :  having  a  form  of  godUness,  but  they 
deny  the  power  thereof.'  He  again  forbade  me  to  join  with  any  of 
them :  and  many  other  things  did  he  say  unto  me,  which  I  cannot  write 
at  this  time.  When  I  came  to  myself  again,  I  found  myself  lying  on  my 
back,  looking  up  into  heaven.  When  the  light  had  departed,  I  had  no 
strength;  but  soon  recovering  in  some  degree,  I  went  home." — Ibid. 
PP-  5-6. 

As  might  have  been  expected,  the  report  of  this  vision  by  the 
youthful  seer  gained  very  slight  credence,  except  with  the  mem- 
bers of  his  own  family.  To  his  neighbors,  of  course,  he  could 
seem  to  be  nothing  other  than  a  victim  of  delusion,  and  worse 
than  that,  of  diabolical  delusion,  or  obsession.  Nor  did  it  occur 
to  any  of  them  to  make  mere  sport  of  the  young  man's  profes- 
sions—  a  saving  sense  of  humor  seems  never  to  have  been  pos- 
sessed by  any  of  Smith's  detractors  —  and,  as  a  consequence, 
their  treatment  of  him  partook  of  a  childish  brutality  that  seems 
in  no  way  less  absurd  than  the  most  exaggerated  claims  that  he 
could  have  ventured  to  make.  Thus,  as  he  records,  his  narra- 
tion of  his  vision  to  one  of  the  most  active  of  the  revivalist 
Methodist  preachers,  instead  of  some  pious  attempt  to  exorcise 
the  *'  delusion,"  was  met  with  "  a  great  deal  of  contempt."  Smith 
adds  also :  "  I  soon  found  that  my  telling  the  story  had  excited  a 
great  deal  of  prejudice  against  me  among  the  professors  of  re- 
ligion, and  was  the  cause  of  great  persecution,  which  continued 
to  increase;  and  though  I  was  an  obscure  boy,  only  between 
fourteen  and  fifteen  years  of  age,  and  my  circumstances  of  life 
such  as  to  make  a  boy  of  no  consequence  in  the  world,  yet  men 
of  standing  would  take  notice  sufficient  to  excite  the  public 
mind  against  me,  and  create  a  bitter  persecution;  and  this  was 
common  among  all  sects  —  all  united  to  persecute  me." 

However  "  improbable  "  such  a  condition  of  affairs  might  seem 
to  the  casual  reader,  one  must  not  forget  that  it  forms  an  emi- 
nently fitting  start  for  the  bitter  persecutions  always  visited  upon 
Smith.  It  is  also  of  a  part  with  the  religious  persecutions  of  all 
ages.  Their  nature  has  ever  been  essentially  cowardly,  visiting 
"  righteous  wrath "  upon  the  weak,  the  ignorant  and  the  de- 
pendent, and  reaching  to  the  influential  and  powerful  only  excep- 
tionally. As  in  the  reign  of  **  Bloody  Mary  "  of  England,  as  is 
recorded,  it  was  principally  the  mean,  poor  and  humble  **  victims 
of  error  "  that  were  selected  in  the  majority  of  cases  for  the  dis- 
tinction of  martyrdom :  very  few  of  the  "  ringleaders  of  heresy," 
comparatively  speaking,  were  "brought  to  justice."  Undoubt- 
edly Smith's  report  that  he  had  "  learned  for  himself  that  Pres- 
byterianism  is  not  true,"  and  that  all  the  sects  "  were  all  wrong," 


THE  RIDDLE  OF  JOSEPH  SMITH  19 

must  have  stirred  the  antagonism  of  the  clergy,  particularly,  as 
would  seem  probable,  the  youth  persisted  in  telling  the  story  to 
all  who  would  listen.  But  it  seems  strange,  indeed,  that  his 
narrations  should  have  been  received  in  such  a  spirit  of  bitter- 
ness, particularly  since,  as  he  reminds  us,  he  was  *'  an  obscure 
boy,  only  between  fourteen  and  fifteen  years  of  age."  We  seem 
to  have  some  explanation  of  the  origin  of  the  confidently  cir- 
culated stories  of  his  youthful  worthlessness  and  depravity,  as 
reproduced  by  several  "  authorities  " :  the  two  parts  of  the  story 

—  his  account  and  the  affidavits  of  "  prominent  citizens  " —  seem 
to  belong  together. 

In  the  consideration  of  Smith's  reported  experience,  we  must 
not  overlook  the  readily-verifiable  fact  that,  whether  real  or  un- 
real, its  professed  nature  and  details  are  quite  of  a  kind  with 
the  experiences  claimed  by  numerous  others  in  all  ages.  Nor 
need  we  cite  examples  of  notable  and  prominent  historic  person- 
ages. The  visions  of  angels,  of  the  departed,  of  evil  spirits, 
even  of  the  Saviour  himself,  seem  to  have  been  reported  and 
tolerated  among  the  religious,  even  to  this  very  day.  No  less  a 
Puritan  authority  than  Increase  Mather  records  numerous  cases 
of  "  apparitions  "  in  his  book,  Remarkable  Providences,  and  dis- 
tinctly states  that  he  believed  them  both  possible  and  frequent. 
Also  in  the  literature  of  "wonderful  conversions,"  so  popular 
until  within  a  generation  since,  we  will  find  numerous  cases  of 
such  experiences,  alleged  by  persons  who  were  led,  seemingly, 
through  such  instrumentality,  to  adopt  the  Christian  life.  Now 
it  is  an  angelic  visitant  that  rebukes  the  sinner  and  warns  him 
to  repent  "  ere  it  is  too  late  " ;  now,  it  is  a  "  glorious  personage," 
probably  believed  to  be  the  Saviour  himself,  that  calls  to  a  special 
mission  for  the  kingdom  of  God ;  again,  it  is  by  an  "  audible 
voice  "  that  certain  eminent  Christian  people  claim  to  have  been 
called  to  a  "  better  life."  As  we  may  find,  also,  in  the  literature 
of  "  psychical  research,"  so-called,  the  numerous  and  constantly 
recurring  accounts  of  apparitions,  particularly  of  the  deceased, 
are  accepted  as  evidence  of  "  something  not  perfectly  under- 
stood."   Whatever  may  be  the  explanation  of  such  experiences 

—  since  they  seem  to  be  sufficiently  numerous  and  sufficiently 
vivid  to  avoid  the  suspicion  of  either  fabrication,  on  the  one  hand, 
or  of  mere  derangement  of  the  senses,  on  the  other  —  it  is  quite 
certain  that  their  acceptance  involves  no  violation  of  the  prin- 
ciples accepted  among  the  pious.  The  assertion  that  such  visions, 
as  well  as  other  "  gifts "  and  marks  of  divine  favor,  are  no 
longer  "  vouchsafed "  seems  rather  an  evidence  of  growing 
"  scepticism  "  among  the  clergy,  or  of  a  fear  lest  the  Evil  One 
uses  such  means  to  *'  deceive  unwary  souls,"  than  the  statement 


20  THE  REAL  MORMONISM 

of  a  principle  distinctly  involved  in  traditional  systems  of  be- 
lief. Such  an  attitude  is  distinctly  taken  by  such  writers  as 
Increase  Mather,  as  well  as  by  sundry  others  since  his  day. 
Religious  writers  among  Protestants  are  considerably  more 
"  careful  "  nowadays  —  fearing,  probably,  some  compromise  with 
the  claims  of  ''  spiritism,"  if  they  should  credit  such  accounts  — 
although,  in  very  many  cases,  somewhat  sceptical,  also :  but  cer- 
tain reactionaries,  the  real  "  conservatives  "  in  theology,  do  not 
hesitate  to  credit  the  claims  of  Spiritism,  and  similar  cults,  as- 
cribing their  ''  manifestations,"  one  and  all,  to  the  Evil  One  and 
his  angels. 

When  we  consider  the  fact  that  visions  and  supposed  visita- 
tions of  the  dead,  of  angels,  also  of  divine  personages,  is  a  part 
of  the  common  stock  of  human  tradition,  accepted  among  all 
nations,  and  to  the  present  day;  and,  further,  that  we  know  of 
nothing  that  can  warrant  us  in  stating  that  such  experiences  are 
either  untrue,  or  impossible,  it  is  certain  that  we  have  a  very 
poor  and  unreliable  *'  explanation "  of  Joseph  Smith's  visions 
in  the  theory  that  he  was  the  victim  of  some  order  of  pathological 
delusion.  The  great  trouble  is  that  the  allegation  of  disease  in 
the  mind  of  Mr.  Smith  involves  more  or  less  the  same,  or  a 
very  similar,  condition  in  such  a  large  proportion  of  the  people 
whose  names  are  notable  in  religious  history.  In  order  to  dis- 
credit him,  therefore,  we  are  asked  to  believe  that  religious  ex- 
altation partakes  of  the  nature  of  epilepsy,  or  some  similar  form 
of  cerebral  affection;  also,  that  its  other  ill  effects  are  very 
generally  absent,  or,  at  least,  quite  negligible  in  their  influences. 

In  one  particular  this  vision  of  Joseph  Smith  seems  to  differ 
from  the  majority  of  recorded  experiences  of  similar  character, 
and  this  is  in  the  delivery  of  a  message  that  is  (i)  strikingly 
contrary  to  anything  that  he  might  be  supposed  to  have  ex- 
pected, and  (2)  that  forms  the  real  point  of  departure  for  the 
work  of  his  after-life,  the  foundation  of  all  the  strikingly  bril- 
liant contributions  to  sociological  and  theological  sciences,  which, 
as  we  shall  see  later,  were  made  by  him.  As  a  usual  thing  the 
personages,  apparently  present  in  a  vision,  say  or  do  nothing  that 
is  of  very  exceptional  interest  or  value.  The  subject  of  the 
visitation  is  often  told,  for  example,  that  he  is  a  sinner,  and  that 
he  must  repent;  or  that  there  is  a  work  for  him  to  do,  usually 
in  the  way  of  preaching  the  Gospel  or  of  caring  for  God's  poor. 
Very  often,  as  we  may  find  by  some  reading  in  the  scattered 
sources,  visitations  or  "apparitions,'*  coming  in  answer  to  an 
expressed  desire,  or  to  prayer,  give  answers  as  enigmatical  as  the 
ancient  Delphic  oracles  to  any  inquiries  that  may  be  made.  As 
a  general  rule,  also,  Spiritistic  messages  partake  of  the  mental 


THE  RIDDLE  OF  JOSEPH  SMITH  21 

color  and  prejudices  of  the  persons  engaged  in  the  "  inquiry." 
Why  these  things  are  as  they  are  we  shall  not  undertake  to 
determine.  It  is  interesting,  however,  to  consider  that  the  mes- 
sage given  to  the  youthful  Smith  in  his  reported  vision  was 
scarcely  of  a  character  to  have  originated  in  the  untutored  and 
inexperienced  brain  of  a  boy  in  his  surroundings  and  at  his 
period.  To  state  that  it  was  a  conclusion  formed  in  his  own 
mind  as  the  result  of  anxious  cogitation  on  the  discordant  claims 
of  the  rival  sects  of  his  neighborhood  —  for  there  were  very  keen 
and  bitter  rivalries  among  them  at  this  period  —  is  to  credit  him 
with  considerable  power  of  reasoning,  also  some  alertness  of 
mind  to  discern  the  essential  incompatibility  of  bitter  rivalries 
with  the  Gospel  of  Love  and  Good  Will  to  men.  Nor  is  it  too 
much  to  believe  that  his  recountal  of  this  message  to  his  neighbors, 
and  to  the  local  clergy,  must  have  resulted  in  precisely  the  kind  of 
persecution  and  disfavor  which  he  records.  Except  for  this,  his 
vision  would  likely  have  been  set  down  to  mere  fervid  imagina- 
tion. 

During  the  three  succeeding  years  of  Smith's  life  nothing  of 
great  importance  seems  to  have  occurred  —  at  least,  nothing  of 
the  kind  is  recorded  by  him  or  his  biographers.  In  his  journal, 
above  quoted,  he  remarks  of  this  period: 

"During  the  space  of  time  which  intervened  between  the  time  I  had 
the  vision  and  the  year  eighteen  hundred  and  twenty-three  —  having 
been  forbidden  to  join  any  of  the  religious  sects  of  the  day,  and  being 
of  very  tender  years,  and  persecuted  by  those  who  ought  to  have  been 
my  friends,  and  to  have  treated  me  kindly,  and  if  they  supposed  me  to 
be  deluded  to  have  endeavored  in  a  proper  and  affectionate  manner  to 
have  reclaimed  me, —  I  was  left  to  all  kinds  of  temptations ;  and  mingling 
with  all  kinds  of  society,  I  frequently  fell  into  many  foolish  errors,  and 
displayed  the  weakness  of  youth,  and  the  foibles  of  human  nature; 
which,  I  am  sorry  to  say,  led  me  into  divers  temptations,  offensive  in 
the  sight  of  God.  In  making  this  confession,  no  one  need  suppose  me 
guilty  of  any  great  or  malignant  sins.  A  disposition  to  commit  such 
was  never  in  my  nature.  But  I  was  guilty  of  levity,  and  sometimes 
associated  with  jovial  company,  etc.,  not  consistent  with  that  character 
which  ought  to  be  maintained  by  one  who  was  called  of  God  as  I  had 
been.  But  this  will  not  seem  very  strange  to  any  one  who  recollects 
my  youth,  and  is  acquainted  with  my  native  cheery  temperament." — 
History  of  the  Church,  Vol.  I,  pp.  9-10. 

This  period  must  have  been  that  in  which  Smith's  bad  reputa- 
tion was  greatly  augmented.  Nor  could  it  be  remarkable  that 
the  "  levity  "  of  which  he  makes  mention  should  appear  of  even 
graver  import,  in  view  of  his  previously  reported  vision.  It  is 
popularly  supposed  that  he  indulged  in  alcoholic  stimulants,  also 
in  the  fortune-telling  and  water-witching  extravagances,  so  fre- 
quently mentioned  by  his  critics.  We  need  not  dwell  upon  the 
folly  of   such   lines   of   behavior,   however,   since  there  is   no 


22  1  THE  REAL  MORMONISM 

reason  to  believe  them  any  worse  in  Smith  than  in  other  persons 
less  conspicuous.  In  a  letter  to  his  friend,  Oliver  Cowdery, 
written  some  years  later,  he  comments  upon  his  conduct  in  the 
following  words : 

"  During  this  time,  as  is  common  to  most,  or  all  youths,  I  fell  into 
many  vices  and  follies;  but  as  my  accusers  are,  and  have  been  forward 
to  accuse  me  of  being  guilty  of  gross  and  outrageous  violations  of  the 
peace  and  good  order  of  the  community,  I  take  the  occasion  to  remark 
that,  though  as  I  have  said  above,  '  as  is  common  to  most,  or  all  youths, 
I  fell  into  many  vices  and  follies,'  I  have  not,  neither  can  it  be  sus- 
tained, in  truth,  been  guilty  of  wronging  or  injuring  any  man  or  society 
of  men;  and  those  imperfections  to  which  I  allude,  and  for  which  I 
have  often  had  occasion  to  lament,  were  a  light,  and  too  often,  vain 
mind,  exhibiting  a  foolish  and  trifling  conversation. 

"  This  being  all,  and  the  worst,  that  my  accusers  can  substantiate 
against  my  moral  character,  I  wish  to  add  that  it  is  not  without  a  deep 
feeling  of  regret  that  I  am  thus  called  upon  in  answer  to  my  own  con- 
science, to  fulfil  a  duty  I  owe  to  myself,  as  well  as  to  the  cause  of  truth, 
in  making  this  public  confession  of  my  former  uncircumspect  walk,  and 
trifling  conversation  and  more  particularly,  as  I  often  acted  in  violation 
of  those  holy  precepts  which  I  knew  came  from  God.  ...  I  only  add, 
that  I  do  not,  nor  never  have,  pretended  to  be  any  other  than  a  man 
*  subject  to  passion,'  and  liable  without  the  assisting  grace  of  the 
Savior,  to  deviate  from  that  perfect  path  in  which  all  men  are  com- 
manded to  walk." — Ihid.  p.  lo. 

In  any  other  man  than  Smith  the  last  sentence  would  be  quoted 
as  evidence  of  "manly  piety  and  humility."  He  makes  no  at- 
tempt to  justify  or  excuse  any  of  the  lapses  committed  by  him, 
whatever  these  may  have  been,  and  states  explicitly  his  complete 
dependence  upon  the  grace  of  the  Saviour  for  every  good  of 
which  he  is  capable.  Nor  is  there  any  reason  whatever  for 
charging  him  with  "  insincerity  "  or  "  imposture ''  in  the  use  of 
such  expressions.  His  lapses  may  have  been  serious,  or  merely 
the  foolish  indiscretions  of  an  immature  and  irresponsible  boy. 
In  either  case  his  maturity  need  not  be  charged  with  them.  In 
some  other  cases  of  precisely  similar  disquietings  of  conscience 
we  find  that  the  things  repented  of  are  matters  of  no  great 
moment,  and  that  we  have  to  deal  rather  with  a  morbid  tendency 
to  self -accusation  than  with  anything  that  is  worthy  censure, 
even  in  the  young.  His  manhood  certainly  showed  no  such 
serious  criminality  —  unless  we  take  account  of  the  stock  charge 
of  "imposture" — that  we  need  dwell  upon  this  "confession" 
as  evidence  of  anything  beyond  the  common  failings  of  human 
nature.  We  must  remember,  also,  that  St.  Augustine,  and  sev- 
eral others  among  the  "  Church  Fathers,"  lived  lives  by  no  means 
exemplary  until  well  into  their  mature  years;  but  this  fact  de- 
tracts in  nothing,  in  common  estimate,  from  their  subsequent 
contributions  to  Christian  literature  and  holy  living.  Like  many 
of  them,  however,  the  mind  of  the  youthful  Smith  was  seriously 


I 


THE  RIDDLE  OF  JOSEPH  SMITH  23 

disquieted  on  the  matter  of  his  spiritual  standing.    Thus  we 

read: 

"  In  consequence  of  these  things,  I  often  felt  condemned  for  my 
weakness  and  imperfections;  when,  on  the  evening  of  the  above-men- 
tioned twenty-first  of  September,  after  I  had  retired  to  my  bed  for  the 
night,  I  betook  myself  to  prayer  and  supplication  to  Almighty  God  for 
forgiveness  of  all  my  sins  and  follies,  and  also  for  a  manifestation  to 
me,  that  I  might  know  of  my  state  and  standing  before  Him;  for  I 

'  had  full  confidence  in  obtaining  a  divine  manifestation,  as  I  previously 
had  done.  While  I  was  thus  in  the  act  of  calling  upon  God,  I  discovered 
a  light  appearing  in  my  room,  which  continued  to  increase  until  the 
room  was  lighter  than  at  noonday,  when  immediately  a  personage 
appeared  at  my  bedside,  standing  in  the  air,  for  his  feet  did  not  touch 
the  floor.  He  had  on  a  loose  robe  of  most  exquisite  whiteness.  It  was 
a  whiteness  beyond  anything  earthly  I  had  ever  seen;  nor  do  I  believe 
that  any  earthly  thing  could  be  made  to  appear  so  exceedingly  white 
and  brilliant.  His  hands  were  naked  and  his  arms  also,  a  little  above 
the  wrist,  so,  also  were  his  feet  naked,  as  were  his  legs,  a  little  above 
the  ankles.  His  head  and  neck  were  also  bare.  I  could  discover  that 
he  had  no  other  clothing  on  but  his  robe,  as  it  was  open,  so  that  I 
could  see  into  his  bosom.  Not  only  was  his  robe  exceedingly  white,  but 
his  whole  person  was  glorious  beyond  description,  and  his  countenance 
truly  like  lightning.  The  room  was  exceedingly  light,  but  not  so  very 
bright  as  immediately  around  his  person. 

"  When  I  first  looked  upon  him,  I  was  afraid ;  but  the  fear  soon  left 
me.  He  called  me  by  name,  and  said  unto  me  that  he  was  a  messenger 
sent  from  the  presence  of  God  to  me,  and  that  his  name  was  Moroni; 
that  God  had  a  work  for  me  to  do ;  and  that  my  name  should  be  had  for 
good  and  evil  among  all  nations,  kindreds,  and  tongues,  or  that  it  should 
be  both  good  and  evil  spoken  of  among  all  people.  He  said  there  was  a 
book  deposited,  written  upon  gold  plates,  giving  an  account  of  the 
former  inhabitants  of  this  continent,  and  the  course  from  whence  they 
sprang.  He  also  said  that  the  fulness  of  the  everlasting  Gospel  was 
contained  in  it,  as  delivered  by  the  Savior  to  the  ancient  inhabitants ; 
also,  that  there  were  two  stones  in  silver  bows  —  and  these  stones, 
fastened  to  a  breastplate,  constituted  what  is  called  the  Urim  and 
Thummim  —  deposited  with  the  plates;  and  the  possession  and  use  of 
these  stones  were  what  constituted  '  Seers '  in  ancient  or  former  times ; 
and  that  God  had  prepared  them  for  the  purpose  of  translating  the 
book." — Ibid.  pp.  10,  11,  12. 

According  to  the  account,  the  heavenly  messenger  then  quoted 
and  commented  on  several  passages  of  the  Old  and  New  Testa- 
ments, and  also  wrought  upon  the  mind  of  the  youth,  so  that  he 
was  enabled  to  see  the  golden  plates  in  their  resting-place.  The 
messenger  then  ascended  into  heaven,  but  returned  twice  again 
in  the  same  night,  repeating  his  former  message,  and  adding 
admonitions  about  the  golden  plates  and  similar  important  mat- 
ters. On  the  manner  of  his  ascent  into  heaven  the  account  has 
the  following: 

"After  this  communication,  I  saw  the  light  in  the  room  begin  to 
gather  immediately  around  the  person  of  him  who  had  been  speaking 
to  me,  and  it  continued  to  do  so,  until  the  room  was  again  left  dark, 
except  just  around  him,  when  instantly  I  saw,  as  it  were,  a  conduit  open 


24  THE  REAL  MORMONISM 

right  up  into  heaven,  and  he  ascended  until  he  entirely  disappeared,  and 
the  room,  was  left  as  it  had  been  before  this  heavenly  light  had  made 
its  appearance." —  Ibid.  p.  13. 

After  the  third  visit  of  Moroni,  the  narrator  records  that  "  the 
cock  crov^ed,  and  I  found  that  day  was  approaching."  He  then 
resumes : 

"  I  shortly  after  arose  from  my  bed,  and,  as  usual,  went  to  the  neces- 
sary labors  of  the  day;  but,  in  attempting  to  work  as  at  other  times,  I 
found  my  strength  so  exhausted  as  to  render  me  entirely  unable.  My 
father,  who  was  laboring  along  with  me,  discovered  something  to  be 
wrong  with  me,  and  told  me  to  go  home.  I  started  with  the  intention  of 
going  to  the  house;  but,  in  attempting  to  cross  the  fence  out  of  the 
field  where  we  were,  my  strength  entirely  failed  me,  and  I  fell  help- 
less on  the  ground,  and  for  a  time  was  quite  unconscious  of  anything. 
The  first  thing  that  I  can  recollect  was  a  voice  speaking  unto  me,  calling 
me  by  name.  I  looked  up,  and  beheld  the  same  messenger  standing 
over  my  head,  surrounded  by  light  as  before.  He  then  again  related 
unto  me  all  that  he  had  related  to  me  the  previous  night,  and  commanded 
me  to  go  to  my  father  and  tell  him  of  the  vision  and  commandments 
which  I  had  received.  I  obeyed;  I  returned  to  my  father  in  the  field, 
and  rehearsed  the  whole  matter  to  him.  He  replied  to  me  that  it  was 
of  God,  and  told  me  to  go  and  do  as  commanded  by  the  messenger.  I 
left  the  field,  and  went  to  the  place  where  the  messenger  had  told  me  the 
plates  were  deposited ;  and  owing  to  the  distinctness  of  the  vision  which 
I  had  had  concerning  it,  I  knew  the  place  the  instant  that  I  arrived 
there."— Ibid.  pp.  14-1S. 


CHAPTER  III 

THE  COMING-FORTH  OF  THE  BOOK  OF  MORMON 

With  the  episode  commonly  known  as  the  "  coming-forth  of 
the  Book  of  Mormon  "  the  history  of  Joseph  Smith  enters  upon 
a  new  phase.  The  production  of  the  alleged  "  record  of  the 
Nephites  "  introduces  him  as  the  preacher  of  a  definite  gospel 
and  the  arbiter  of  opinions  about  God  and  religion.  As  in  other 
matters  in  the  history  of  Smith  and  his  Church,  no  would-be 
critic  has  studied  this  book  with  any  other  motive  than  to  pick 
flaws  and  condemn;  nor  has  the  reading  public  ever  been  in- 
formed as  to  precisely  what  are  its  contents,  teachings  and 
literary  merits.  The  several  theories  of  its  origin,  also,  are 
distinguished  particularly  as  masses  of  bald  assumption  and 
plausible  possibilities,  but  without  definite  and  conclusive  solu- 
tions of  the  involved  matters.  Thus,  as  we  shall  see,  one  theory 
of  the  origin  of  this  book  ascribes  its  authorship  to  a  certain 
Solomon  Spaulding,  a  retired  Presbyterian  preacher  of  Ohio, 
whose  manuscript  had  been  stolen  from  a  printing  office  in 
Pittsburg  by  a  certain  Sidney  Rigdon,  and  by  him  —  for  some 
obscure  and  unsatisfactory  reason  —  deHvered  to  Joseph  Smith, 
to  serve  as  the  basis  of  a  movement  for  restoring  the  Gospel  in 
an  age  of  doubt  and  apostasy.  As  an  alternate  "  explanation," 
several  writers  have  attempted  to  demonstrate  that  this  book 
was  the  product  of  "  automatic  writing,"  which  is  another  rare, 
indefinite  and  imperfectly  explained  phenomenon,  as  set  forth 
by  certain  writers  on  psychology.  And  all  these  improbable, 
indefensible  and  undemonstrable  theories  have  been  formulated  to 
explain  the  doings  of  an  arrant  and  shallow  "  imposter,"  as  they 
call  Smith,  whose  claims  and  assumptions  are  '*  their  own  refuta- 
tion," and  "  could  be  seriously  considered  by  no  informed  mind ! " 

In  this  matter,  as  in  the  others,  already  discussed,  the  fair  and 
logical  procedure  is  to  give  Smith's  own  story  of  the  origin  and 
production  of  this  book,  and  then  discuss,  in  turn,  the  several 
theories  devised  to  fit  the  facts.  Nor  can  we  fail  to  find  out  at 
the  end  of  our  discussion  that  there  is  positively  no  complete  and 
final  explanation  of  the  matter  discoverable  to  the  investigator 

35 


26  THE  REAL  MORMONISM 

working  on  the  problem  at  this  late  day.  That  the  writing  of 
the  Book  of  Mormon  was  "  no  fool's  job  "  must  be  evident  to 
any  unprejudiced  reader.  Whether  or  not  it  be  what  it  pro- 
fesses, a  record  of  God's  dealings  with  certain  ancient  inhabi- 
tants of  this  continent,  it  is  certainly  not  the  product  of  an  igno- 
rant and  diseased  brain,  bent  on  perpetrating  a  hoax  — "  carrying 
out  the  fun,"  as  some  critics  express  it  —  nor  could  one  readily 
believe  that  it  had  been  written  originally  as  a  novel.  Certain 
theorists  have  held  that,  while  the  body  of  the  book  was  written 
as  a  novel  by  Spaulding,  the  "  religious  portions "  were  incor- 
porated by  Rigdon,  as  part  of  his  design  for  foisting  it  on  the 
public  as  a  brand-new  revelation  from  God.  As  may  be  found  on 
reading  the  book,  Rigdon  must  have  been  far  more  skillful  as  an 
editor  than  was  Spaulding  as  a  novelist.  The  "  religious  por- 
tions," whether  appearing  in  the  form  of  lengthy  discourses,  or 
as  stray  remarks  and  dialogues,  are,  so  far  as  the  average  critic 
could  discern,  integral  parts  of  the  total  work.  To  omit  them, 
one  must  seriously  mutilate  the  accounts  of  various  events,  as 
they  now  stand.  It  may  be  asserted,  also,  that  these  several  dis- 
courses and  dialogues  were  evidently  uttered,  or  otherwise  pro- 
mulgated, originally,  with  no  other  intention  in  mind  than  to  en- 
lighten the  reader  upon  the  views  of  Gospel  truth  therein  pre- 
sented. 

Smith's  account  of  the  "  coming- forth "  of  this  book  is  as 
follows:  On  the  morning  after  the  second  vision  (Sept.  22, 
1823),  as  he  records,  he  visited  the  hiding  place  of  the  plates  of 
Mormon,  in  company  with  the  angel  Moroni.  It  was  on  the  west 
side  of  a  "  hill  of  considerable  size,"  now  known  as  Cumorah, 
and,  as  Smith  says,  "  owing  to  the  distinctness  of  the  vision  which 
I  had  had  concerning  it,  I  knew  the  place  the  instant  that  I  arrived 
there."  He  then  relates  that  the  golden  plates  and  other  objects 
buried  with  them  were  shown  him  by  the  angel,  who  informed 
him,  however,  that  he  would  not  be  allowed  to  take  them  away 
until  that  date  four  years  thereafter.  However,  on  the  anniver- 
sary of  that  day,  during  the  next  three  years.  Smith  visited  the 
place,  and,  finally,  on  Sept.  22,  1827,  was  given  possession  of  the 
plates,  the  "  interpreters "  (the  prophetic  "  Urim  and  Thum- 
mim  ")  and  other  objects  concealed  with  them.  Smith's  accoimt 
of  this  event  is  thus  given  in  his  own  words : 

"At  length  the  time  arrived  for  obtaining  the  plates,  the  Urim  and 
Thummim,  and  the  Breastplate.  .  .  .  The  same  heavenly  messenger  de- 
livered them  up  to  me  with  this  charge:  that  I  should  be  responsible 
for  them ;  that  if  I  should  let  them  go  carelessly,  or  through  any  neglect 
of  mine,  I  should  be  cut  ofif ;  but  that  if  I  would  use  all  my  endeavors  to 
preserve  them,  until  he,  the  messenger,  should  call  for  them,  they  should 
be  protected. 


THE  BOOK  OF  MORMON  27 

"  I  soon  found  out  the  reason  why  I  had  received  such  strict  charges 
to  keep  them  safe,  and  why  it  was  that  the  messenger  had  said  that 
when  I  had  done  what  was  required  at  my  hand,  he  would  call  for  them. 
For  no  sooner  was  it  known  that  I  had  them,  than  the  most  strenuous 
exertions  were  used  to  get  them  from  me.  Every  stratagem  that  could 
be  invented  was  resorted  to  for  that  purpose.  The  persecution  became 
more  bitter  and  severe  than  before,  and  multitudes  were  on  the  alert 
continually  to  get  them  from  me  if  possible.  But  by  the  wisdom  of  God, 
they  remained  safe  in  my  hands,  until  I  had  accomplished  by  them  what 
was  required  at  my  hand.  When,  according  to  arrangements,  the  mes- 
senger called  for  them,  I  delivered  them  up  to  him;  and  he  has  them 
in  his  charge  until  this  day. —  History  of  the  Church,  Vol.  I,  pp.  18-19. 

The  persecutions  mentioned  became  finally  so  severe  that 
Smith  and  his  wife  were  obliged  to  remove  from  Manchester, 
New  York,  to  Susquehanna  County,  Pennsylvania.  In  his  re- 
moval he  was  assisted  by  the  generosity  of  Martin  Harris,  a  well- 
to-do  farmer  of  Palmyra,  who,  although  but  recently  become 
acquainted  with  Smith,  had  given  him  $50  for  his  expenses. 
Later,  after  Smith  had  made  a  *' transcript "  of  some  of  the 
characters,  said  to  appear  on  the  plates,  Harris  took  it  to  New 
York,  and  showed  it  to  Dr.  Charles  Anthon  and  Dr.  Samuel  L. 
Mitchill,  leading  scholars  and  educators  of  that  city.  According 
to  the  story  told  by  Harris,  Prof.  Anthon  declared  that  the  let- 
ters on  the  transcript  "  were  Egyptian,  Chaldaic,  Assyriac 
[Syriac?],  and  Arabic,"  and  that  the  purported  translations  were 
correct,  wherever  attached  to  the  professed  originals.  Anthon 
subsequently  denied  Harris'  statements,  but,  whatever  may  have 
occurred,  the  fact  remains  that  Harris  returned  to  Smith  con- 
vinced of  the  truth  of  his  claims,  and  ready  to  assist  in  the  work 
of  translating  the  plates,  both  by  personal  labor  in  writing  at 
Smith's  dictation  and  by  the  contribution  of  funds.  All  this 
may  be  attributed  to  "  hypnotic  influence,"  but  such  explanation 
seems  somewhat  "  far-fetched,"  particularly  in  view  of  the  fact 
that  the  supposed  object  of  Harris'  "  investigation  "  was  to  dis- 
cover whether  investment  of  money  in  the  publication  of  the  book 
would  be  advisable.  However,  the  story  may  best  be  told  in  the 
words  of  the  principals.  Harris*  account,  as  given  by  Smith  in 
his  journal,  is  as  follows : 

"  I  went  to  the  city  of  New  York,  and  presented  the  characters  which 
had  been  translated,  with  the  translation  thereof,  to  Professor  Charles 
Anthon,  a  gentleman  celebrated  for  his  literary  attainments.  Professor 
Anthon  stated  that  the  translation  was  correct,  more  so  than  any  he 
had  before  seen  translated  from  the  Egyptian.  I  then  showed  him  those 
which  were  not  yet  translated,  and  he  said  that  they  were  Egyptian, 
Chaldaic,  Assyriac,  and  Arabic;  and  he  said  they  were  true  characters. 
He  gave  me  a  certificate,  certifying  to  the  people  of  Palmyra  that  they 
were  true  characters,  and  that  the  translation  of  such  of  them  as  had 
been  translated  was  also  correct.  I  took  the  certificate  and  put  it  into 
my  pocket,  and  was  just  leaving  the  house,  when  Mr.  Anthon  called  me 


28  THE  REAL  MORMONISM 

back,  and  asked  me  how  the  young  man  found  out  that  there  were  gold 
plates  in  the  place  where  he  found  them.  I  answered  that  an  angel  of 
God  had  revealed  it  unto  him.  He  then  said  to  me,  *  Let  me  see  that 
^  certificate.'  I  accordingly  took  it  out  of  my  pocket  and  gave  it  to  him, 
when  he  took  it  and  tore  it  to  pieces,  saying  that  there  was  no  such 
thing  now  as  ministering  of  angels,  and  that  if  I  would  bring  the 
plates  to  him,  he  would  translate  them." —  Ibid.  p.  20. 

In  opposition  to  this  statement  of  Harris',  there  are  two  letters 
ascribed  to  Prof.  Anthon,  which  give  his  version  of  the  story. 
They  may  be  quoted  in  part  as  follows: 

"The  whole  story  about  my  pronouncing  the  Mormon  inscription  to 
be  reformed  Egyptian  hieroglyphics  is  perfectly  false.  Some  years  ago, 
a  plain,  apparently  simple-hearted  farmer  called  on  me  with  a  note  from 
Dr.  Mitchill,  of  our  city,  now  dead,  requesting  me  to  decipher,  if 
possible,  the  paper  which  the  farmer  would  hand  me.  .  .  .  The  paper 
in  question  was,  in  fact,  a  singular  scroll.  It  consisted  of  all  kinds  of 
singular  characters,  disposed  in  columns,  and  had  evidently  been  pre- 
'  pared  by  some  person  who  had  before  him  at  the  time  a  book  containing 
various  alphabets;  Greek  and  Hebrew  letters,  crosses  and  flourishes; 
Roman  letters  inverted  or  placed  sideways  were  arranged  and  placed  in 
perpendicular  columns,  and  the  whole  ended  in  a  rude  delineation  of  a 
circle,  divided  into  various  compartments,^  arched  with  various  strange 
marks,  and  evidently  copied  after  the  Mexican  calendar,  given  by  Hum- 
boldt, but  copied  in  such  a  way  as  not  to  betray  the  source  whence  it  was 
derived." — Letter  to  E.  D.  Howe,  Feb.  17,  1834. 

"  Many  years  ago  —  the  precise  date  I  do  not  now  recollect, —  a  plain- 
looking  countryman  called  upon  me  with  a  letter  from  Dr.  Samuel  L. 
Mitchill,  requesting  me  to  examine,  and  give  my  opinion  upon  a  certain 
paper,  marked  with  various  characters,  which  the  doctor  confessed  he 
could  not  decipher,  and  which  the  bearer  of  the  note  was  very  anxious 
to  have  explained.  .  .  .  The  characters  were  arranged  in  columns,  like 
the  Chinese  mode  of  writing,  and  presented  the  most  singular  medley 
that  I  ever  beheld.  Greek,  Hebrew  and  all  sorts  of  letters,  more  or  less 
distorted,  either  through  unskillfulness  or  from  actual  design,  were 
intermingled  with  sundry  delineations  of  half  moons,  stars,  and  other 
natural  objects,  and  the  whole  ended  with  a  rude  representation  of  the 
Mexican  zodiac.  ...  On  my  telling  the  bearer  of  the  paper  that  an 
attempt  had  been  made  to  impose  on  him  and  defraud  him  of  his  prop- 
erty, he  requested  me  to  give  him  my  opinion  in  writing  about  the  paper 
which  he  had  shown  to  me.  I  did  so  without  hesitation,  partly  for  the 
man's  sake,  and  partly  to  let  the  individual  'behind  the  curtain'  [Smith] 
see  that  his  trick  was  discovered.  The  import  of  what  I  wrote  was,  as 
far  as  I  can  now  recollect,  simply  this,  that  the  marks  in  the  paper 
appeared  to  be  merely  an  imitation  of  various  alphabetical  characters, 
and  had,  in  my  opinion,  no  meaning  at  all  connected  with  them." — 
Letter  to  Rev.  T.  W.  Coit  {New  Rochelle,  New  York),  April  3,  1841. 

These  variant  accounts  have  been  quoted  frequently  by  writers 
on  both  sides  of  the  perennial  Mormon  "  controversy  " — the  Mor- 
mons, on  the  one  hand,  usually  accepting  Harris'  version,  and  their 
critics,  on  the  other,  construing  Prof.  Anthon's  characterizations 
into  a  complete  "  expert  condemnation  "  of  the  existence  of  the 
plates  of  Mormon  and  of  Smith's  honesty  in  the  matter  of  their 
professed  translation  or  transcription.    As  may  be  reasonably 


I 


THE  BOOK  OF  MORMON  29 


held,  however,  both  conclusions  are  only  partially  warranted  by 
the  probable  facts.  Thus,  as  a  careful  scholar,  it  is  extremely 
unlikely  that  Prof.  Anthon  remarked  definitely  that  the  "  transla- 
tion of  such  of  them  as  had  been  translated  "  was  correct ;  since 
his  knowledge  of  Egyptian,  or  "  reformed  Egyptian  " —  a  term 
proposed  by  some  writers  for  Demotic  or  Hieratic  writing  —  is  not 
known  to  have  been  such  as  would  have  enabled  him  to  read  such 
texts  off-hand.  Conversely,  also,  the  remarks  in  which  both  the 
witnesses  agree,  to  the  effect  that  the  inscription  was  a  medley  of 
"  all  sorts  of  letters,"  presumably  copied,  as  Anthon  suggests, 
from  a  "book  containing  various  alphabets,"  may  not  be  taken 
as  a  definite  condemnation  of  the  transcription ;  since,  as  may  be 
readily  verified,  a  document  in  Hieratic  or  Demotic  Egyptian 
script,  particularly  when  copied  by  one  unskilled  in,  or  unaccus- 
tomed to,  copying  such  writings,  could  very  easily  be  made  to 
answer  to  precisely  the  description  given  by  Prof.  Anthon. 
Such  scripts  differ  widely  from  the  Hieroglyphic,  and  so  closely 
resemble  archaic  forms  of  several  Semitic  alphabets  that  some 
theorists,  notably  Isaac  Taylor,  have  suggested  that  such  orig- 
inated in  some  earlier ,  forms  of  the  Hieratic  style. 

Unfortunately,  the  paper  examined  by  Prof.  Anthon  has  not 
been  preserved  for  us,  but  another  alleged  transcription  of  the 
characters  on  the  plates  of  Mormon  has  been  shown  by  several 
writers.  While  certainly  a  "  screed  of  indefinite  origin,"  it  more 
closely  suggests  Egyptian  Hieratic  than  "  Greek,  Hebrew,"  or 
any  other  script,  even  "  Assyriac."  If  copied  from  any  book 
"  containing  various  alphabets,"  as  Prof.  Anthon  suggests,  it  is 
quite  reasonable  to  suppose  that  some  form  of  Egyptian  writing 
also  was  included.  The  identity  of  this  '*  book  "  must  be  some- 
what doubtful,  since  few,  if  any,  available  to  the  general  reader 
at  that  date  (1827),  gave  very  definite  information  on  Egyptian 
writing,  unless,  indeed,  we  except  the  supplement  of  the  Ency- 
clopedia Britannica,  issued  in  1819,  and  containing  an  article  on 
the  Egyptian  language  by  Dr.  Thomas  Young.  It  is  easier  to 
suggest  possible  sources  of  a  man's  information,  however,  than 
to  prove  that  he  ever  used  them.  We  might  assume,  also,  that 
such  a  person  as  Smith  is  said  to  have  been  — "  ignorant,"  "  vaga- 
bondish,"  ''  dreamy,"  "  epileptic  "  and  "  hypnotic  " —  might  have 
assumed  that  any  scrawl  he  might  be  pleased  to  make  would  pass 
for  "  reformed  Egyptian,"  or  anything  else  he  might  choose  to 
call  it.  That  such  a  person  would  ever  think  of  consulting  a 
"  book  containing  various  alphabets  "  is  unlikely. 

Whatever  may  be  the  real  facts  regarding  the  interview  of 
Martin  Harris  with  Prof.  Anthon  —  whether  Anthon  gave  him 
a  written  "  certificate,"  as  he  acknowledges  in.  his  letter  to  Coit 


30  THE  REAL  MORMONISM 

and  denies  in  his  letter  to  Howe ;  or  whether,  or  not,  his  "  warn- 
ings "  to  Harris  were  of  a  very  definite  and  emphatic  description 
—  the  fact  remains  that,  on  his  return  to  Harmony,  Harris  en- 
tered upon  the  work  of  transcribing  the  "  translation,"  as  dic- 
tated by  the  Prophet.  Evidently,  he  either  understood  that 
Anthon  had  endorsed  the  translation,  as  he  states,  or  else,  as  is 
equally  probable,  he  was  not  exactly  "  overawed  "  by  the  per- 
sonality and  opinions  even  of  so  great  a  scholar.  After  tran- 
scribing ii6  pages  of  Smith's  dictation,  as  will  be  explained  later, 
Harris  discontinued  his  work,  and  was,  for  some  time,  partially 
estranged  from  the  Prophet.  This,  however,  had  no  effect  on 
his  faith,  and  we  find  him  later  one  of  the  three  witnesses  to  the 
Book  of  Mormon,  and  also  mortgaging  his  farm  to  defray  the 
cost  of  its  printing. 

As  to  the  manner  in  which,  according  to  various  accounts,  the 
translation  of  the  ancient  plates  was  accomplished,  there  seems 
to  be  some  variation  in  details.     The  story  popularly  accepted  is 
that  Smith  sat  behind  a  screen  or  blanket  hung  from  the  ceiling 
of  his  room,  and  dictated  the  sentences,  "  as  they  were  given  to 
him,"  to  his  amanuensis  who  sat  on  the  other  side  of  this  parti- 
tion.    This  gave  him  the  opportunity,  as  alleged  by  numerous 
critics,  to  read   from  the  manuscript  of   Spaulding's   romance, 
as  edited  by  Rigdon,  thus  carrying  out  the  story  of  the  golden 
plates  of  Mormon.     Why,  however,  even  the  most  arrant  knave, 
bent  on  deceiving  the  people,  should  have  resorted  to  all  this 
trouble,  which  occupied  months  at  a  time  with  hard  work,  it  is 
difficult    to    understand.     Spaulding's    edited    manuscript,    or    a 
transcription  of  it  made  by  himself,  would  have  served  the  pur- 
pose of  printer's  copy  quite  as  well  as  the  one  laboriously  tran- 
scribed by  his  amanuensis.     Admitting  the  truth  of  any  of  the 
accounts  which  we  have,  we  might  seem  justified  in  asserting 
that  there  could  have  been  other,  and  quite  as  good  reasons  for 
the  method  of  "  translation  "  adopted,  as  any  that  these  hostile 
critics  have  suggested.     What  such  "  good  reasons  "  may  have 
been  may  not  be  perfectly  obvious.     On  this  matter  Roberts  says : 
"The   sum   of   the  whole  matter,  then,   concerning  the   manner  of 
translating  the  sacred  record  of  the  Nephites,  according  to  the  testi- 
mony of  the  only  witnesses  competent  to  testify  in  the  matter  (Smith, 
Cowdery,   Whitmer   and   Harris)    is:    With   the    Nephite   record   was 
deposited  a  curious  instrument,  consisting  of  two  transparent  stones, 
set  in  the  rim  of  a  bow,  somewhat  resembling  spectacles,  but  larger, 
called   by   the   ancient   Hebrews    *Urim   and   Thummim,'   but   by   the 
Nephites  *  Interpreters.'  .  .  .  The  Nephite  characters  with  the  English  in- 
terpretation appeared  in  the  sacred  instrument;  the  Prophet  would  pro- 
nounce the  English  translation  to  his  scribe,  which,  when  correctly  written, 
would  disappear  and  the  other  characters  with  their  interpretation  take 
their  place,  and  so  on  until  the  work  was  completed. 


THE  BOOK  OF  MORMON,  31 

"It  should  not  be  supposed,  however,  that  this  translation,  though 
accomplished  ...  as  stated  above,  was  merely  a  mechanical  procedure; 
that  no  faith,  or  mental  or  spiritual  effort  was  required  on  the  Prophet's 
part;  that  the  instruments  did  all,  while  he  who  used  them  did  nothing 
but  look  and  repeat  mechanically  what  he  saw  thene  reflected.  ...  It  • 
required  the  utmost  concentration  of  mental  and  spiritual  force  possessed 
by  the  Prophet,  in  order  to  exercise  the  gift  of  translation  through  the 
means  of  the  sacred  instruments  provided  for  that  work." — History  of 
the  Mormon  Church  {Americana  Magazine,"  Oct.,  1909,  pp.  808-809). 

Of  course,  the  story  as  accepted  by  Mormons,  involves  a  dis- 
tinct element  of  the  supernatural,  or,  at  least,  of  the  superhuman, 
and  this  is  supposed  to  constitute  its  sufficient  refutation.  It  is 
not  too  much  to  claim,  however,  even  in  these  days  of  "  rational- 
ism "  and  *'  naturalism,"  when  the  attribute  of  "  omniscience," 
formerly  supposed  to  belong  to  God,  is  unhesitatingly  ascribed  to 
man,  that  any  such  "  refutation  "  is  no  refutation  at  all ;  and  for 
the  very  excellent  reason  that,  even  now,  we  know  no  more  about 
the  things  outside  the  realm  of  our  immediate  experience  than 
did  our  remotest  ancestors  —  perhaps,  indeed,  not  quite  as  much. 
It  is  significant,  however,  that  the  most  confidently  urged  "  ex- 
planations "of  Smith's  performances  are  in  no  sense  more  prob- 
able, or  even  credible,  than  that  offered  by  himself  and  his  asso- 
ciates. His  most  **  rationalistic  "  and  **  scientific  "  critics  have 
left  the  matter  as  much  "  in  the  air  "  as  it  always  was.  This  we 
shall  see  later.  Thus,  although  many  of  the  discussions  on  this 
matter  of  "  translation,"  as  given  by  some  of  his  advocates,  par- 
takes of  what  is  often  characterized  as  "  sophistical  reasoning," 
the  fact  remains  that  there  is  positively  nothing  more  to  be  said 
against  their  arguments  than  can  be  said  by  the  most  ignorant 
doubter  of  all  that  is  not  understood. 

Among  such  curious  situations  is  the  condition  of  Martin 
Harris'  departure  as  Smith's  scribe.  According  to  the  story 
told  by  all  historians  of  the  matter,  after  Harris  had  completed 
the  transcription  of  116  pages,  he  importuned  the  Prophet  for 
the  privilege  of  taking  them  home  to  Palmyra  and  exhibiting 
them  to  his  wife,  his  brother,  and  other  members  of  his  imme- 
diate family,  and  the  request  was  finally  granted  upon  the  strict 
agreement  that  they  should  be  shown  to  no  one  beside.  Harris 
broke  his  promise,  however,  and,  as  a  result,  the  pages  disap- 
peared, and  were  never  seen  again.  One  supposition  has  been 
that  they  were  stolen  by  enemies  of  Smith  and  his  **work,"  al- 
though some  have  asserted  that  they  were  burned  by  Harris' 
wife,  as  a  protest  against  his  determination  to  finance  the  publi- 
cation of  the  completed  book.  Among  other  penalties  visited 
upon  the  Prophet,  in  addition  to  his  mere  annoyance  at  the  care- 
lessness and  broken  faith  of  his  scribe,  were  the  withdrawal  by 


32  THE  REAL  MORMONISM 

the  heavenly  messenger  of  the  sacred  plates  and  "  interpreters," 
and  the  cessation  of  his  own  power  of  receiving  revelations  from 
God.  As  a  result  of  his  repentance,  however,  he  was  restored 
to  divine  favor  and  privilege,  and  the  work  was  ordered  resumed. 
On  this  episode  Roberts  says: 

"AH  the  sacred  things  were  now  restored  to  the  Prophet,  and  upon 
inquiry  of  the  Lord  through  Urim  and  Thummim  he  received  another 
revelation  in  which  the  designs  of  those  who  had  stolen  the  manuscript 
from  Martin  Harris  were  made  known.  Those  designs  aimed  at  nothing 
less  than  the  destruction  of  the  work  Joseph  Smith  had  in  hand.  Hav- 
ing now  in  their  possession  so  large  a  part  of  the  ancient  record,  they 
would  hold  it  and  see  if  the  Prophet  in  a  second  translation  could  repro- 
duce it  verbatim  et  literatim,  if  not,  they  would  say  he  had  no  gift  for 
he  could  not  translate  the  same  matter  twice  alike,  therefore  he  had 
made  false  pretensions;  he  was  a  false  prophet,  and  his  work  must  be 
discredited.  If,  on  the  other  hand,  he  should  reproduce  the  matter 
verbatim  et  literatim  then  they  had  the  manuscript  of  the  first  translation 
in  their  hands,  and  could  change  that  and  claim  that  the  prophet  evidently 
could  not  translate  the  same  matter  twice  alike,  hence  had  not  translated 
by  inspiration,  hence  had  no  supernatural  gift,  hence  was  not  a  Prophet 
of  God,  but  an  imposter." —  Ibid.  p.  795. 

Although  the  conditions  set  forth  by  Roberts  have  been  in- 
terpreted by  various  critics  of  Smith's  claims  as  proof  that  the 
Prophet  was  seriously  embarrassed  by  the  loss  of  the  manu- 
script, it  seems  to  furnish  a  very  good  refutation  of  the  con- 
fidently-urged Spaulding  authorship  theory.  If,  as  alleged, 
Smith  had  before  him  the  copy  of  Spaulding's  romance,  with 
Sidney  Rigdon's  editions,  and  had  dictated  it  to  his  amanuensis, 
what  difficulty,  beyond  the  work  involved,  could  there  be  in  the 
way  of  reproducing  the  exact,  or  approximate  wording  —  for 
he  may  have  made  changes  as  he  read  along  —  of  the  original? 
Of  course,  as  has  been  said,  also,  he  may  have  destroyed  the 
original,  as  the  work  of  transcription  progressed,  and  for  this 
reason  he  could  not  reproduce  it.  If,  however,  we  stop  to  con- 
sider all  that  might  have  been  done,  or  that  one  could  suppose 
was  done,  we  have  attained  no  nearer  approach  to  certainty  than 
we  had  at  the  very  start.  Nor  is  the  situation  materially  im- 
proved by  the  usual  line  of  reflections  on  this  incident.  Some 
Mormon  writers  have  treated  the  matter  of  Smith's  "  transla- 
tion "  in  a  philosophical  manner.  Thus,  in  commenting  on  the 
criticisms  of  Rev.  Mr.  Lamb,  author  of  The  Gold  Bible,  Prof. 
N.  L.  Nelson  writes: 

"  In  a  consideration  of  this  question  [*  How  the  Book  of  Mormon  was 
.  Translated']  the  fundamental  proposition  —  that  on  which  the  Mormon 
and  his  opponent  must  alike  agree  —  is  the  fact  that,  howsoever  he  came 
by  his  material,  Joseph  Smith  dictated  the  Book  of  Mormon,  without 
apparent  hesitation,  as  fast  as  a  scribe  could  write  it  in  long  hand. 
There  is  no  chance  for  error  on  this  point.  The  entire  Whitmer  family, 
besides   Oliver   Cowdery,   Martin  Harris,  and  Joseph's  wife,  sat   and 


THE  BOOK  OF  MORMON  33 

listened,  or  had  free  access  to  listen,  to  the  record  as  it  grew  day  by  day 
during  the  entire  month  of  June,  1829.  .  .  . 

"  My  idea  is,  then,  that  the  translation  of  the  Book  of  Mormon  is  the 
joint  product  of  two  men  —  Joseph  Smith  and  most  probably  the  Angel 
Moroni;  that  the  angel  was  commissioned  by  God  to  act  for  the  dead 
quite  as  truly  as  was  the  Prophet  for  the  living ;  that  such,  in  fact,  is  the 
meaning  of  the  words  spoken  to  the  Three  Witnesses,  declaring  that 
the  record  had  been  translated  '  by  the  gift  and  power  of  God.' 

"  But  how,  the  reader  is  ready  to  ask.  Nothing  could  be  simpler,  as 
I  view  it.  Moroni,  being  familiar  with  the  characters  on  the  plates, 
read  them  character  by  character;  that  is  to  say,  he  looked  at  the 
symbols  and  thereby  awakened  or  aroused  in  his  mind  the  thought  cor- 
responding to  the  symbols  —  for  that  is  precisely  what  reading  means. 
The  thought  so  aroused  passed  by  the  power  of  the  Spirit  directly  into 
the  mind  of  the  Prophet,  who  in  turn  rendered  it  into  such  English 
symbols  as  were  at  his  command.  Nor  did  the  thought  alone  so  pass: 
the  very  image  of  the  character  that  held  the  attention  of  Moroni  was 
flashed  into  Joseph's  mind  and  visuaHzed  before  him,  just  as  Dayid 
Whitmer  says.  What  then  would  be  more  natural,  than  that  the  English 
symbols  corresponding  to  the  thought  in  Joseph's  mind  should  also  be 
projected  before  him  as  a  visual  image?  This  may  account  for  the 
double  line  of  symbols,  ancient  and  modern,  which  was  seen  by  the 
Prophet  in  the  darkness   surrounding  the   Urim   and  Thummim.  .  .  . 

"Fortunately,  science  has  taught  us  enough  concerning  the  laws  of 
thought  communication, — -that  is  to  say,  concerning  the  incipient  science 
of  telepathy, —  that  no  fact  in  the  above  theory  need  stagger  the  student. 
Stranger  things  are  taking  place  to-day  in  the  laboratories  of  psychic 
research.  By  'stranger'  I  mean  merely  that  telepathic  communication 
takes  place  under  circumstances  less  simple  and  direct ;  not  that  scientific 
research  has  yet  evolved  telepathically  —  or  probably  will  evolve  during 
the  next  century  —  anything  to  compare  with  the  Book  of  Mormon  either 
in  extent  or  definiteness.  My  idea  is  simply  that  if  man  has  demon- 
strated the  power  of  telepathy  to  exist,  then  it  is  surely  worthy  of  faith 
that  God  could  so  shape  conditions  as  to  make  the  communication  of 
the  Book  of  Mormon  possible  in  the  manner  I  have  suggested." — The 
Mormon  Point  of  View,  pp.  124-130. 

However  this  theory  of  Prof.  Nelson's  may  affect  the  general 
reader,  who,  in  the  average,  is  likely  to  depreciate  all  arguments 
in  favor  of  Mormonism,  it  is  interesting  to  remark  in  passing 
that  the  latest,  and,  as  considered  in  many  quarters,  the  "  most 
scientific  "  theory  of  the  origin  of  the  Book  of  Mormon  —  that 
it  was  the  product  of  "  automatic  mental  operations "  of  some 
kind  —  involves  very  nearly  a  similar  line  of  suppositions.  Nor 
does  it  seem  any  better  justified  on  the  basis  of  the  common 
experiences  of  humanity.  Furthermore,  both  should  account 
very  similarly  for  the  phraseology  and  ideas  of  the  work  itself. 
Thus,  continuing  from  Nelson's  work: 

"The  second  question  relates  to  Joseph  Smith's  mental  qualifications. 
I  have  suggested  that  Moroni  communicated  with  him  through  a  medium 
common  alike  to  the  inhabitants  of  heaven,  earth,  and  hell  —  the  medium 
of  thought  divorced  from  all  symbol.  His  part  was  consequently  to 
put  the  thought  so/ received,  into  English  words;  and  in  doing  so  his 
personal  equation  would  inevitably  be  stamped  upon  the  translation,  as 


34  THE  REAL  MORMONISM 

we  have  seen  that  it  was.  It  is  important  to  consider  now  what  that 
equation  was,  especially  with  reference  to  the  use  of  words. 

"  In  respect  of  diction,  writers  are  of  two  extreme  types,  with  all 
degrees  of  overlapping.  The  one  extreme  is  well  represented  by  Henry 
Ward  Beecher,  who  read  or  listened  with  such  intensity  that  he  could 
never  quote :  the  phraseology  of  others  having  melted  down  like  slag  in 
the  white  heat  of  his  mind  and  yielded  up  the  pure  gold  of  their  ideas. 
When  such  a  man  writes,  every  phrase  is  coined  anew  and  therefore 
stamped  indelibly  with  the  writer's  individuality. 

"  The  other  extreme  is  represented  by  every  beginner  in  the  thought 
world  and,  for  that  matter,  by  nine-tenths  of  those  who  grow  old  in  it. 
They  gather  ideas  with  more  or  less  avidity,  both  from  books  and  men ; 
but  they  stow  away  these  ideas  without  undressing  them, —  boots  and 
all,  so  to  speak.  Consequently,  when  these  try  to  write,  they  proceed 
from  phrase  to  phrase,  rather  than  from  word  to  word;  and  there  is 
always  a  certain  conventionality  or  triteness  in  their  style, —  a  resem- 
blance to  others  in  phraseology  which  would  convict  them  of  plagiarism, 
should  their  productions  be  compared  critically  with  the  authors  they 
have  read. 

"To  this  latter  class  belongs,  as  I  have  intimated,  every  tyro  in 
composition,  and  therefore  Joseph  Smith;  at  least  this  was  probably  true 
of  him  during  that  early  period  when  he  was  put  to  the  stress  of 
inventing  the  style  of  the  Book  of  Mormon.  As  long  as  the  thought 
communicated  by  Moroni  ran  along  in  simple  narrative,  the  experiences 
of  his  oAvn  life  furnished  the  Prophet  with  an  original  diction;  but  the 
moment  it  ascended  into  abstract  realms,  he  had  to  draw  upon  his  stock 
of  phrases  —  upon  that  part  of  his  vocabulary  which,  in  the  language 
of  psychology,  had  not  been  apperceived,  or  melted  down  in  the  crucible 
of  individual  experience.  When  we  consider  that  this  part  of  his  vo- 
cabulary had  been  stored  almost  exclusively  by  contact  with  ministers 
of  the  Gospel,  and  through  reading  the  King  James'  version  of  the  Bible, 
we  have  an  adequate  explanation  of  why  scriptural  phraseology  enters 
so  largely  into  the  style  of  the  Book  of  Mormon.  .  .  .  Had  the  thought 
of  the  Book  of  Mormon  been  flashed  into  a  mind  like  that  of  Webster 
or  Beecher,  it  would  undoubtedly  have  been  moulded  into  forms  of 
expression  which  would  have  left  no  chance  for  the  charge  of  plagiar- 
ism. As  it  was,  the  thought  could  do  nothing  else  than  take  the  line  of 
least  resistance,  and  that  was  the  line  of  expression  familiar  to  the 
translator  through  contact  with  the  King  James'  version  of  the  scriptures. 

"As  before  suggested,  from  the  fact  that  the  witnesses  of  the  mode 
of  translation  have  nowhere  said  that  Joseph  stopped  to  read  passages 
from  the  Bible,  it  is  fair  to  assume  that  those  chapters  which  occur 
identical  in  both  books,  were  received  and  dictated  by  the  same  tele- 
pathic communion  as  the  rest  of  the  matter ;  that  is,  the  Prophet  himself 
did  not  probably  know,  at  the  time  of  translating,  how  the  result  would 
compare  with  the  English  version  of  the  Bible. 

"  Are  we  then  to  assume  that  the  Scriptures  as  known  to  the  Nephites 
were  identical,  in  form  of  expression,  with  the  scriptures  in  the  King 
James'  version?  By  no  means.  That  the  thought  was  the  same  we  may 
well  believe,  since  this  is  God's  part  of  scripture.  There  is  surely  no 
difficulty  in  holding  that  Christ  would  give  the  Sermon  on  the  Mount 
in  practically  the  same  mental  concepts  to  the  Nephites  that  He  did  to 
the  Jews.  Now,  had  Joseph  never  read  the  English  version,  he  would 
have  been  obliged  to  coin  these  concepts  anew  as  best  he  could ;  m  which 
case  his  rendering  would  have  differed  from  Matthew's  as  much  at 
least  as  do  those  of  the  other  three  evangelists;  but  even  if  we  suppose 


I 


THE  BOOK  OF  MORMON  35 


he  had  read  Matthew's  only  once,  we  must  allow  that  the  thought  would 
take  the  channel  broken  in  preference  to  one  unbroken,  unless  the 
translator  strongly  willed  otherwise. 

"As  an  instance  of  the  truth  that  probably  no  impression  on  the 
consciousness  is  ever  completely  effaced,  Mr.  Hudson,  in  his  epoch-making 
book.  The  Law  of  Psychic  Phenomena,  relates  that  a  servant-girl, 
when  put  into  the  clairvoyant  state,  astonished  her  hearers  by  reciting 
perfectly  a  Greek  poem  in  the  original  Attic  tongue.  Theos9phists 
claimed  the  circumstance  as  evidence  of  re-incarnation;  but  it  was 
finally  explained  that  ten  years  previous  she  had  been  present,  dusting  a 
certain  library,  while  a  noted  scholar  had  recited  the  poem  to  a  friend. 
Psychic  research  reveals  many  similar  instances.  It  is  not  difficult  to 
believe,  therefore,  that  Joseph's  mind  would  without  his  knowledge 
retain  whole  chapters  of  the  Bible,  which  would  spring  verbatim  unto 
consciousness  when  brought  into  association  with  the  thought  that 
originally  inspired  them.  This  view  requires  that  quotations  and  so- 
called  plagiarisms  shall  always  be  from  the  King  James'  version  —  the 
only  Bible  probably  known  to  the  early  life  of  the  Prophet, —  and  this, 
as  we  have  seen,  was  the  case." — Ibid.  pp.  132-137. 

Of  course,  no  mind  already  prejudiced  against  Mormonism 
and  all  that  belongs  to  it  can  be  expected  to  see  in  this  explana- 
tion anything  other  than  an  elaborate  attempt  to  justify  some- 
thing confidently  classed  as  a  "  fraud,"  but  fairness  requires 
that  we  acknowledge  the  fact  that  the  conditions  outlined  by 
Prof.  Nelson  —  with  the  sole  exception  of  the  alleged  activities 
of  an  invisible  personage,  angel  or  otherwise  —  are  a  part  of  the 
common  stock  of  phenomena  which  are  receiving  serious  con- 
sideration at  the  hands  of  our  foremost  psychologists  at  the 
present  day.  With  any  person  other  than  Joseph  Smith  the 
explanation  would  be  highly  acceptable  to  our  scientific  au- 
thorities, who  would,  undoubtedly,  admit  the  activity  of  the 
Angel  Moroni,  in  the  character  of  some  kind  of  indefinite  *'  con- 
trol," presumably,  on  their  theory,  a  phase  of  the  "  subliminal 
self  "  or  a  manifestation  of  a  *'  second  personality."  This,  at 
least,  would  be  the  method  by  which  they  would  explain  the 
facts  with  which  Prof.  Nelson  deals.  They  would  also  accept 
his  proffered  explanation  of  the  presence  of  lengthy  quoted  pass- 
ages from  the  Bible,  nor  would  they  revert  to  the  theory  of 
"  plagiarism "  until  all  the  phases  of  "  automatic  reproduction 
of  memory  records "  had  been  exhausted.  Indeed,  candidly 
speaking,  there  would  seem  to  be  some  demand  for  such  an  ex- 
planation of  the  presence  of  these  passages,  because  of  the  fact 
that,  while  the  Book  of  Mormon  shows  no  very  large  or  varied 
vocabulary,  there  is  ample  evidence  that  the  writer,  or  writers, 
were  fully  able  to  express  their  ideas  "  in  their  own  words  " 
and  forms,  and  it  can  be  no  otherwise  than  surprising  that,  in 
the  cases  of  the  lengthy  quotations  from  the  prophet  Isaiah 
and  the  New  Testament,  the  essential  ideas  are  not  given  in 


36  THE  REAL  MORMONISM 

new  form,  rather  than  in  direct  quotation.  Nor  can  we  urge 
Smith's  alleged  "  ignorance,"  or  any  other  evil  quality,  which  we 
may  assume  that  he  possessed,  as  a  sufficient  and  final  explana- 
tion of  this  fact.  The  science  of  psychology  must  insist  that 
the  charge  of  "  fraud  '*  or  "  plagiarism  "  be  relegated,  until  all 
conditions  be  more  fully  analyzed. 

Although  such  "  scientific  attention "  as  has  been  accorded 
the  case  of  Joseph  Smith  goes  very  far  toward  discrediting  the 
theory  that  his  activities  may  be  classed  as  mere  conscious  and 
deliberate  fraud,  it  seems  necessary  to  outline  the  several  ex- 
planations, so-called,  of  the  Book  of  Mormon  and  its  origin. 
Thus,  for  example,  a  certain  Lamb,  like  several  other  hostile 
critics,  has  argued  that  the  book  cannot  be  what  it  professes,  a 
divine  record  of  God's  dealings  with  the  ancient  inhabitants  of 
America,  because  of  its  defects  of  style,  its  "  exaggerated  mir- 
acles "  and  the  essential  "  improbability  "  of  most  of  its  narra- 
tions. These  conclusions  they  profess  to  argue  by  comparison 
with  the  Bible,  which,  by  their  showing,  is  perfect  in  literary 
style,  "  dignified "  in  all  its  accounts  of  miraculous  events  — 
all  of  which,  as  they  say,  were  for  the  definite  end  of  convincing 
people  of  the  truths  of  God  —  and  so  reasonable  and  obvious  in 
all  its  professed  historic  narrations  that  no  one  could  doubt. 
It  seems  unnecessary  to  say  that  all  such  attempted  criticism  is 
essentially  and  irredeemably  unfair  and  disingenuous,  in  the 
mere  fact  that  it  applies  to  the  Book  of  Mormon  —  no  matter 
what  may  be  the  real  facts  regarding  it  —  the  very  line  of 
criticisms  that  have  been  made  against  the  veracity  and  cred- 
ibility of  the  Bible  by  the  "  infidels "  of  all  ages.  Thus,  we 
need  only  compare  the  amused  reflections  of  Mr.  Lamb  on  the 
extraordinary  rate  of  increase  of  the  inhabitants  of  America 
during  the  first  century,  or  so,  after  the  arrival  of  the  first  col- 
ony, about  600  B.  C.,  with  the  numerous  hostile  criticisms  of 
^  the  Biblical  account  of  the  rapid  increase  of  the  Israelites  in 
Egypt  from  the  time  of  Joseph  to  that  of  Moses.  It  is  well  to 
remark  that,  if  the  Bible  is  not  to  be  condemned  because  of  the 
difficulties  of  statement  and  the  defects  of  style  repeatedly  in- 
dicated by  hostile  critics,  it  is  obviously  inadmissable  to  use  the 
same  line  of  criticism  against  any  other  book  claiming  dignity 
as  a  revelation  from  God,  or  even  as  history. 


CHAPTER  IV 

THE  BEGINNINGS  OF  MORMONISM 

In  entering  upon  an  examination  of  the  alleged  supernatural 
elements  in  Mormon  history,  we  may  quote  from  Joseph 
Smith's  own  words  describing  the  exhibition  of  the  golden 
plates  to  the  "three  witnesses,"  Oliver  Cowdery,  David  Whit- 
mer,  and  Martin  Harris: 

"  We  four  .  .  .  agreed  to  retire  into  the  woods,  and  try  to  obtain,  by 
fervent  and  humble  prayer,  the  fulfilment  of  the  promises  given  .  .  . 
that  they  should  have  a  view  of  the  plates.  We  accordingly  made  choice 
of  a  piece  of  woods  convenient  to  Mr.  Whitmer's  house,  to  which  we 
retired,  and  having  knelt  down,  we  began  to  pray  in  much  faith  to 
Almighty  God  to  bestow  upon  us  a  realization  of  these  promises. 

"  According  to  previous  arrangement,  I  commenced  by  vocal  prayer  to 
our  Heavenly  Father,  and  was  followed  by  each  of  the  others  in  suc- 
cession. We  did  not  at  the  first  trial,  however,  obtain  any  answer  or 
manifestation  of  divine  favor  in  our  behalf.  We  again  observed  the 
same  order  of  prayer,  each  calling  on  and  praying  fervently  to  God  in 
rotation,  but  with  the  same  result  as  before. 

"  Upon  this,  our  second  failure,  Martin  Harris  proposed  that  he 
should  withdraw  himself  from  us,  believing,  as  he  expressed  himself, 
that  his  presence  was  the  cause  of  our  not  obtaining  what  we  wished 
for.  He  accordingly  withdrew  from  us,  and  we  knelt  down  again,  and 
had  not  been  many  minutes  engaged  in  prayer,  when  presently  we  beheld 
a  light  above  us  in  the  air,  of  exceeding  brightness ;  and  behold,  an 
angel  stood  before  us.  In  his  hands  he  held  the  plates  which  we  had 
been  praying  for  these  to  have  a  view  of.  He  turned  over  the  leaves 
one  by  one,  so  that  we  could  see  them,  and  discern  the  engravings  thereon 
distinctly.  He  then  addressed  himself  to  David  Whitmer,  and  said, 
*  David,  blessed  is  the  Lord,  and  he  that  keeps  His  commandments ' ; 
when,  immediately  afterwards,  we  heard  a  voice  from  out  of  the  bright 
light  above  us,  saying,  *  These  plates  have  been  revealed  by  the  power  of 
God,  and  they  have  been  translated  by  the  power  of  God.  The  transla- 
tion of  them  which  you  have  seen  is  correct,  and  I  command  you  to 
bear  record  of  what  you  now  see  and  hear.' 

"  I  now  left  David  and  Oliver,  and  went  in  pursuit  of  Martin  Harris, 
whom  I  found  at  a  considerable  distance,  fervently  engaged  in  prayer. 
He  soon  told  me,  however,  that  he  had  not  yet  prevailed  with  the  Lord, 
and  earnestly  requested  me  to  join  him  in  prayer,  that  he  also  might 
realize  the  same  blessings  which  we  had  just  received.  We  accordingly 
joined  in  prayer,  and  ultimately  obtained  our  desires,  for  before  we  had 
yet  finished,  the  same  vision  was  opened  to  our  view,  at  least  it  was  again 
opened  to  me,  and  I  once  more  beheld  and  heard  the  same  things; 

Z7 


38  THE  REAL  MORMONISM 

whilst  at  the  same  moment,  Martin  Harris  cried  out,  apparently  in  an 
ecstasy  of  joy,  "Tis  enough;  'tis  enough;  mine  eyes  have  beheld;  mine 
eyes  have  beheld ' ;  and  jumping  up,  he  shouted  *  Hozanna,'  blessing 
God,  and  otherwise  rejoiced  exceedingly ."—' History  of  the  Church,  Vol. 
I,  PP'  54-55.. 

As  may  be  noted  by  any  reader  who  has  had  the  patience  to 
follow  us  to  this  point,  the  account  of  the  appearance  of  the 
angelic  visitant  here  given  agrees  in  all  substantial  particulars 
with  that  of  the  second  vision  of  Joseph  Smith  in  1823.  Al- 
though he  mentions  no  physical  effects  occurring  at  the  time  or 
later,  it  might  be  held  that,  if  the  former  experience  is  to  be 
explained,  as  some  hold,  as  a  "  visual  aura  of  epilepsy,"  *  this 
one  also  is  in  the  same  category.  And  such  an  explanation 
might  be  advanced,  ''  for  all  that  it  is  worth,"  if  the  three  wit- 
nesses could  be  assumed  fictitious  personages,  or  so  obscure  and 
unknown  that  their  alleged  experiences  might  be  confidently 
described,  without  fear  of  contradiction.  As  it  is,  however, 
they  are  perfectly  well  known,  from  the  hour  of  this  visional 
experience  to  the  day  of  their  deaths.  Furthermore,  they  have 
testified  to  the  reality  of  this  experience,  as  they  believed  it  to 
be,  at  any  rate,  and  in  no  equivocal  language. 

On  the  publication  of  the  Book  of  Mormon  the  famous  "  Tes- 
timony of  the  Three  Witnesses  "  appeared  as  a  sort  of  intro- 
duction on  a  page  following  the  title.  As  may  be  seen,  it  sub- 
stantially endorses  the  description  of  the  occurrence  just  given 
in  the  words  of  Joseph  Smith.     It  is  as  follows: 

"  Be  it  known  unto  all  nations,  kindreds,  tongues,  and  people  unto 
whom  this  work  shall  come,  that  we,  through  the  grace  of  God  the 
Father,  and  our  Lord  Jesus  Christ,  have  seen  the  plates  which  contain 
this  record  .  .  .  and  we  also  know  that  they  have  been  translated  by 
the  gift  and  power  of  God,  for  His  voice  hath  declared  it  unto  us; 
wherefore  we  know  of  a  surety  that  the  work  is  true.  And  we  also 
testify  that  we  have  seen  the  engravings  which  are  upon  the  plates; 
and  they  have  been  shown  unto  us  by  the  power  of  God,  and  not  of 
man.  And  we  declare  with  words  of  soberness,  that  an  angel  of  God 
came  down  from  heaven,  and  he  brought  and  laid  before  our  eyes,  that 
we  beheld  and  saw  the  plates  and  the  engravings  thereon ;  and  we  know 
that  it  is  by  the  grace  of  God  the  Father,  and  our  Lord  Jesus  Christ, 
that  we  beheld  and  bear  record  that  these  things  are  true;  and  it  is 
marvelous  in  our  eyes,  nevertheless,  the  voice  of  the  Lord  commanded 
us  that  we  should  bear  record  of  it ;  wherefore,  to  be  obedient  unto  the 
commandments  of  God,  we  bear  testimony  of  these  things." 

In  dealing  with  the  several  visions  and  theophanies  accorp-- 
panying  the  founding  of  Mormonism  and  the  *'  coming  forth 
of  the  Book  of  Mormon,"  we  have  a  series  of  situations  that 
fairly  challenge  the  ingenuity  of  hostile  critics  to  produce  a 
satisfactory  rationalistic  explanation.  It  is  easy  to  suppose  and 
assert  that  the  witnesses   to  this  book,  together  with   Sidney 

*  This  theory  is  discussed  in  a  later  chapter. 


BEGINNINGS  OF  MORMONISM  39 

Rigdon,  who  has  been  credited  with  a  large  share  in  its  produc- 
tion, were  all  accomplices  of  Joseph  Smith  in  the  perpetration 
of  an  enormous  hoax,  out  of  which  all  hoped  "  to  make  money." 
The  fact  that  most  of  these  people  were  "  ignorant,"  hence, 
probably,  also  "  mercenary  "  has  been  urged  as  a  good  explana- 
tion of  their  complicity  in  an  unworthy  scheme.  We  might 
readily  accept  such  an  explanation  as  tentative,  at  least,  if 
these  men  had  continued  to  be  the  associates  and  beneficiaries  of 
Joseph  Smith  during  the  remainder  of  their  lives.  As  a  matter 
of  fact,  the  reverse  is  the  case.  The  three  witnesses  and  Rigdon 
—  the  "arch-conspirators,"  as  alleged  —  were  all  cut  off  from 
the  Mormon  Church;  two  of  them',  Harris  and  Cowdery,  be- 
came bitter  and  outspoken  enemies  of  Smith,  while  Rigdon  with- 
drew in  surly  disaffection.  If,  then,  men  of  their  advertised 
character  and  intelligence  had  thus  separated  from  their  leader, 
whom  they  knew  to  be  a  fraud,  what  more  probable  than  that 
they  should  recant  their  former  "  testimony,"  and  denounce 
him  ?  This  would  seem  to  be  the  most  usual  procedure  for  men 
**bent  on  revenge";  also,  particularly  probable,  in  view  of  the 
fact  that  all  of  them  were  more  or  less  severely  censured  and' 
characterized  by  the  Church  authorities,  as  persons  of  bad 
morals  and  contemptible  lives.  Other  lesser  offenders  and 
apostates  from  this  Church  —  such  as  Philastus  Hurlburt  and  * 
John  C.  Bennett  —  who,  presimiably,  knew  far  less  about  Smith 
and  his  history  than  any  of  his  earlier  associates,  made  strenu- 
ous efforts  to  wreck  his  work  and  ruin  his  reputation.  Not  one 
of  the  three  witnesses,  however,  ever  denied  the  truth  of  his 
original  testimony :  as  a  matter  of  fact  all  reaffirmed  it  in  strong 
terms  years  afterward.  Even  Sidney  Rigdon,  although  him- 
self an  ambitious  and  violent  character,  never  sought  to  recoup 
his  own  position,  or  to  discredit  Smith  by  revealing  any  part  of. 
what  he  might  be  supposed  to  have  known  about  the  origin  of 
the  Book  of  Mormon,  according  to  certain  popular  and  highly 
esteemed  theories. 

"  Respecting  the  witnesses  to  whom  the  Angel  Moroni  showed  the 
Plates,  Mr.  Linn  [author  of  The  Story  of  the  Mormons]  has  this  to 
say :  *  Surely  if  any  three  men  in  the  Church  should  remain  steadfast, 
mighty  pillars  of  support  for  the  Prophet  in  his  future  troubles,  it 
should  be  these  chosen  witnesses  to  the  actual  existence  of  the  Golden 
Plates.  Yet  every  one  of  them  became  an  apostate,  and  every  one  of 
them  was  loaded  with  all  the  opprobrium  that  the  Church  could  pile  upon 
him.*  Yet  had  they  remained  faithful  to  the  Church,  what  would  have 
been  Mr.  Linn's  comment?  Would  he  not  have  said:  'Of  course; 
could  you  expect  anything  else  from  men  who  consented  to  remain  the 
tools  of  an  unscrupulous  hierarchy?  These  men  have  everything  to 
gain  and  nothing  to  lose  by  maintaining  their  false  testimony ! '  Clearly, 
so  far  as  the  existence  of  the  Plates  is  concerned,  the  evidence  could 
not  be  made  stronger  than  by  their  turning  away  from  the  Church  and 


40  THE  REAL  MORMONISM 

still  remaining  true,  as  they  did,  to  their  testimony.  The  temptation  to 
injure  the  Church  by  recanting,  must,  at  a  certain  period  in  the  life  of 
each,  have  been  very  strong;  yet  the  conviction  that  they  had  actually 
seen  and  handled  the  plates  remained  stronger  still." — N.  L.  Nelson 
{The  Mormon  Point  of  View,  pp.  189-190.) 

Although,  as  alleged  by  one  of  the  multitudinous  "  affidavits  " 
that  seem  to  be  the  proper  accompaniments  of  Mormon  history 
—  somewhat  as  **blackfish"  accompany  a  whale  —  that  Oliver 
Cowdery,  after  his  withdrawal  from  the  Mormon  Church  in 
1838,  united  with  the  Methodist  Protestant  denomination,  mak- 
ing a  public  recantation,  in  which  he  "  admitted  his  error  and 
implored  forgiveness,"  it  is  certain,  nevertheless,  that  he  re- 
turned to  the  Mormons  in  1848,  and  a  short  time  before  his 
death  publicly  affirmed  his  belief  that  the  Book  of  Mormon  is 
true,  and  that  "  it  contains  the  everlasting  Gospel.'* 

Martin  Harris  also  returned  to  the  Church,  after  years  of 
separation,  and  died  in  Utah.  According  to  accounts,  he  re- 
peatedly reaffirmed  the  truth  of  his  original  story,  describing  the 
scene  minutely.  David  Whitmer  never  reunited  with  the 
Church,  but,  until  the  day  of  his  death,  continued  firm  in  his 
belief  that  the  vision  of  the  angel  was  a  true  one.  In  an  inter- 
view with  the  noted  Apostles,  Orson  Pratt  and  Joseph  F.  Smith, 
at  Richmond,  Missouri,  Sept.  7,  1878,  he  stated  that  he  saw  the 
plates  and  the  angel  at  this  time,  and  added: 

"  The  fact  is,  it  was  just  as  though  Joseph,  Oliver,  and  I  were  sitting 
just  here  on  a  log,  when  we  were  overshadowed  by  a  light.  It  was  not 
like  the  light  of  the  sun  nor  like  that  of  a  fire,  but  more  glorious  and 
beautiful.  It  extended  away  around  us,  I  cannot  tell  how  far,  but  in 
the  midst  of  this  light  about  as  far  off  as  he  sits  [pointing  to  John  C. 
Whitmer,  sitting  a  few  feet  from  him],  there  appeared,  as  it  were,  a  table 
with  many  records  or  plates  upon  it,  besides  the  plates  of  the  Book  of 
Mormon,  also  the  sword  of  Laban,  the  directors,  i.e.,  the  ball  which 
Lehi  had,  and  the  interpreters.  I  saw  them  just  as  plain  as  I  saw  this 
*  bed  [striking  the  bed  beside  him  with  his  hand],  and  I  heard  the  voice 
of  the  Lord,  as  distinctly  as  I  ever  heard  anything  in  my  life,  declaring 
that  the  records  of  the  plates  of  the  Book  of  Mormon  were  translated 
by  the  gift  and  power  of  God.  .  .  .  Our  testimony  as  recorded  in  the 
Book  of  Mormon  is  strictly  and  absolutely  true,  jilst  as  it  was  written." 
—  Millennial  Star,  Vol.  XL,  Nos.  49,  50. 

In  his  discussion  of  the  "  three  witnesses,"  Mr.  Riley  quotes 
a  letter  from  Whitmer*s  grandson,  George  W.  Schweich  (Sept. 
22,  1899),  which  reads,  as  follows: 

"  I  have  begged  him  (Whitmer)  to  unfold  the  fraud  in  the  case  and 
he  had  all  to  gain  and  nothing  to  lose  but  speak  the  word  if  he  thought 
so  —  but  he  has  described  the  scene  to  me  many  times,  of  his  vision 
about  noon  time  in  an  open  pasture  —  there  is  only  one  explanation 
barring  an  actual  miracle  and  that  is  this  —  if  that  vision  was  not  real 
it  was  hypnotism,  it  was  real  to  grandfather  in  fact" — Founder  of 
Mormonism^  pp.  219^220,  note, 


BEGINNINGS  OF  MORMONISMi 

Mr.  Schweich  is  also  quoted  as  stating  that  Mr.  Whitmer  re- 
quired that  there  be  inscribed  on  his  tombstone  the  epitaph,  *'  The 
Record  of  the  Jews  and  the  Record  of  the  Nephites  are  one. 
Truth  is  eternal."  In  addition  to  these  testimonies  of  Whit- 
mer's  unfailing  faith  in  the  reality  of  his  vision,  we  find  his  pub- 
lished statement,  in  1887,  one  year  before  his  death: 

"It  is  recorded  in  the  American  Cyclopedia  and  the  Encyclopedia 
Britannica,  that  I,  David  Whitmer,  have  denied  by  testimony  as  one  of 
the  Three  Witnesses  to  the  divinity  of  the  Book  of  Mormon;  and  that 
the  other  two  Witnesses,  Oliver  Cowdery  and  Martin  Harris,  denied 
their  testimony  to  that  book.  I  will  say  once  more  to  all  mankind,  that 
I  have  never  at  any  time  denied  that  testimony  or  any  part  thereof.  I 
also  testify  to  the  world,  that  neither  Oliver  Cowdery  nor  Martin  Harris 
ever  at  any  time  denied  their  testimony.  They  both  died  reaffirming 
the  truth  of  the  divine  authenticity  of  the  Book  of  Mormon." — David 
Whitmer  (Address  to  all  Believers  in  Christ,  p.  8). 

Commenting  on  the  fact  that  the  three  witnesses  maintained 
a  consistent  adherence  to  their  original  testimony,  B.  H.  Rob- 
erts, writes,  as  follows: 

"The  trying  circumstances  under  which  the  Witnesses  persisted  in 
maintaining  the  truth  of  that  testimony  is  also  known.  Neither  separa- 
tion from  Joseph  Smith  as  a  companion,  and  associate,  nor  excom- 
munication from  the  body  religious,  brought  into  existence  as  a  sequence, 
one  may  say,  of  the  coming  forth  of  the  Nephite  Record,  affected  them 
as  Witnesses.  In  the  Church  and  while  out  of  it  they  steadfastly  main- 
tained what  they  first  published  to  the  world  respecting  the  Book  of 
Mormon.  They  never  attempted  to  resolve  the  appearance  of  the  angel, 
the  exhibition  of  the  plates,  or  hearing  the  voice  of  the  Lord  into  hallu- 
cination of  the  mind;  nor  did  they  ever  attempt  to  refer  this  really 
great  event  to  some  jugglery  on  the  part  of  Joseph  Smith.  They  never 
allowed  even  the  possibility  of  their  being  mistaken  in  the  matter.  They 
saw;  they  heard;  the  splendor  of  God  shone  upon  them;  they  felt  his 
presence.  They  were  not  deluded.  The  several  incidents  making  up 
this  great  revelation  were  too  palpable  to  the  strongest  senses  of  the 
mind  to  admit  of  any  doubt  as  to  their  reality.  The  great  revelation 
was  not  given  in  a  dream  or  vision  of  the  night.  There  was  no  mysti- 
cism about  it.  Nothing  unseemly  or  occult.  It  was  a  simple,  straight- 
forward, open  fact  that  had  taken  place  before  their  eyes.  The  visita- 
tion of  the  angel  as  in  the  broad  light  of  day." — History  of  the 
Mormon  Church  (Americana  Magazine,  Nov.  1909,  pp.  911^12). 

While  to  the  general  public  the  testimony  of  the  three  wit- 
nesses must  be  judged  as  a  part  of  the  total  grand  riddle  of 
Joseph  Smith,  it  must  be  held  to  embody  evidence  of  some  order 
of  unusual  influence  upon  their  minds,  if  not,  also,  upon  their 
senses.  If  we  assume  with  Roberts  that  it  recorded  an  actual 
divine  manifestation,  we  may  concur  perfectly  in  his  estimate. 
If,  on  the  other  hand,  we  seek  some  "  rational "  explanation, 
we  have  quite  as  much  to  explain  and  justify  to  the  intelligence 
of  the  public.  Thus  on  the  theory  of  some  writers,  the  whole 
affair  mentioned  in  the  "  testimony  "  was  "  set  and  staged  "  by 


42  THE  REAL  MORMONISM 

Smith  to  produce  an  impression  on  the  minds  of  his  too-confid- 
ing friends;  but  we  must  credit  him  with  wonderful  skill  and 
success  as  a  "  stage  manager,"  and  could  be  excused  for  doubt- 
ing if  any  '*  properties  "  and  "business"  could  be  so  arranged, 
under  the  conditions,  as  to  deceive  even  "  ignorant  farmers." 
Another  theory,  as  already  mentioned,  assumes  the  use  of  "  hyp- 
notism "  in  the  production  of  this  permanent  effect  upon  the  minds 
of  the  witnesses.  This,  as  we  have  claimed,  is  also  "  supposing 
a  great  deal,"  even  though  suggested  by  Whitmer's  grandson,  as 
quoted  by  Riley. 

As  may  be  readily  found  on  study  of  the  subject,  the  hypnotism 
explanation  is  no  more  than  an  hypothesis,  and  a  very  indefinite 
one  at  that.  To  assert  that  it  fits  the  facts  is  a  plain  presump- 
tion, even  though  we  have  no  other  explanation  to  advance  in  its 
stead.  In  the  first  place,  there  is  no  evidence  before  us  that 
anything  like  the  ordinary  procedures  of  the  hypnotist  or  mes- 
merist were  attempted;  and,  even  if  this  were  the  case,  as  is 
fairly  evident  to  anyone  at  all  familiar  with  literature  on  hypno- 
tism, it  is  by  no  means  an  easy  feat  to  control  and  suggest  to 
two  subjects  at  a  time,  unless  previous  separate  hypnotic  states 
have  been  induced,  and  definite  suggestions  for  behavior  on  a 
given  occasion  made  and  acted  upon.  This  supposition  involves, 
of  course,  a  whole  array  of  things  and  events  entirely  unmen- 
tioned  in  any  accounts  we  have  read  on  the  event.  As  to  the 
theory  that  hallucination  may  be  produced  in  the  waking  state 
by  strong  suggestion  we  may  quote  Prof.  James,  himself  a 
careful  investigator  of  the  subject: 

"  Some  subjects  seem  almost  as  obedient  to  suggestion  in  the  waking 
state  as  in  sleep,  or  even  more  so,  according  to  certain  observers.  Not 
only  muscular  phenomena,  but  changes  of  personality  and  hallucinations 
are  recorded  as  the  result  of  simple  affirmation  on  the  operator's  part, 
without  the  previous  ceremony  of  'magnetizing'  or  putting  into  the 
'mesmeric  sleep.*  These  are  all  trained  subjects,  however,  so  far  as  I 
know,  and  the  affirmation  must  apparently  be  accompanied  by  the  patient 
concentrating  his  attention  and  gazing,  however  briefly,  into  the  eyes 
of  the  operator.  It  is  probable  therefore  that  an  extremely  rapidly 
induced  condition  of  trance  is  a  prerequisite  for  success  in  these  experi- 
ments."— '  The  Principles  of  Psychology,  Vol.  II.  p.  615. 

>►  Although,  as  appears  in  the  writings  of  several  of  the  fore- 
most investigators  of  hypnotic  phenomena,  the  fact  that  sensory 
hallucinations  and  illusions  may  be  produced  by  suggestion,  as 
well  as  a  more  or  less  persistent  conviction  of  their  reaHty,  there 
can  be  no  doubt  that  such  delusions,  being  unreal,  or  correspond- 
ing to  no  normal  experience,  cannot,  even  with  the  strongest 
suggestion  —  or  other  form  of  hypnotic  influence,  if  any  —  be 
made  to  assume  the  permanent  semblance  of  reality.  The  effects 
of  the  influence,  whatever  its  nature,  must  eventually  wear  off, 


BEGINNINGS  OF  MORMONISM  43 

and  become  less  vivid,  in  precisely  the  same  fashion  that  dreams 
lose  their  definite  character  in  the  memory,  in  the  course  of  years. 
James  and  others  record  that  the  effects  of  trance  suggestion 
have  been  manifested  after  periods  more  or  less  remote  — 
"  months  or  even  a  year,  in  one  case  reported  by  M.  Liegeois  " 
—  there  is  no  conclusive  evidence,  even  to  the  present  day,  that 
such  effects  may  be  permanently  registered  on  the  brain,  to  be 
constantly  referred  to  and  believed  in  for  over  fifty  years,  as  in 
the  cases  of  two  of  Smith's  witnesses.  And  some  such  evidence 
is  positively  essential  to  the  theory.  Whatever  may  be  the  truth 
of  the  matter,  however,  the  hypnotic  explanation  involves  many 
difficulties,  and  cannot  be  quoted  as  sufficient  and  demonstrable. 
At  best,  it  strongly  suggests  the  general  tendency  of  present- 
day  learning  to  assume  the  finality  of  our  knowledge  of  even 
doubtful  matters,  and  to  label  imperfectly  reported  "  cases  "  as 
"  epilepsy,"  "  hypnotism,"  etc.,  on  the  basis  of  a  few  symptoms, 
which,  constituting  the  sum  of  our  knowledge  of  the  matter,  as 
they  do,  are  quite  as  compatible  with  several  other  explanations. 


CHAPTER  V 

JOSEPH   SMITH   AS  THE  FIRST  PROPHET,  SEER  AND  REVELATOR 

Although  the  name  of  Joseph  Smith  figures  largely  in  litera- 
ture, and  although  the  work  inaugurated  by  him  has  been  vari- 
ously discussed,  opposed  and  argued  against,  it  is  a  curious  fact 
that  no  systematic  account  of  his  career,  and  no  estimate  of  his 
character  and  influence,  has  appeared,  except  from  the  pens  of 
two  classes  of  writers.  The  first  of  these,  both  in  time  and 
in  the  attention  secured,  are  implacable  enemies,  whose  spite  and 
prejudice  have  blinded  them  to  the  fact  that  Smith  is  entitled  to 
be  considered  as  any  other  human  being  —  on  the  basis  of  his 
doings,  honestly  examined  and  represented  —  and  have  led  them 
into  espousing  the  several  silly  hypothesis  which  will  be  dis- 
cussed at  a  later  place.  The  second  class  of  writers  is  composed 
of  the  friends  and  adherents  of  the  Prophet,  whose  reverence 
for  his  memory  has  moved  them  to  attribute  the  highest  charac- 
ter and  the  purest  motives  to  him,  and  to  argue  confidently  for 
all  the  claims  made  by  and  for  him.  Between  these  two  ex- 
tremes the  intelligent  mind  is  left  to  form  its  own  conclusions, 
entirely  unaided,  unless  it  be  by  the  expenditure  of  pains  and 
effort  involved  in  examining  and  studying  the  records  and  litera- 
ture that  remain  to  preserve  a  first-hand  picture  of  this  man  and 
his  doings. 

There  are  many  things  recorded  in  the  history  of  Smith's 
career  that  could  scarcely  be  urged  as  the  strongest  and  most 
convincing  evidences  of  his  claims,  nor  even  the  most  probable 
occurrences.  With  such  matters  we  are  less  concerned  than 
with  the  estimate  of  his  significance  to  the  world.  Thus,  as  the 
initiatory  move  in  the  foundation  of  his  Church,  as  is  recorded, 
Smith  and  Cowdery  are  baptized  by  order  of  John  the  Baptist, 
now  a  resurrected  personage,  and  are  ordained  to  the  "  priest- 
hood of  Aaron  " ;  later,  also,  they  are  ordained  to  the  "  higher 
priesthood,"  or,  as  it  is  called  the  "priesthood  of  Melchisedek," 
at  the  hands  of  the  Apostles  Peter,  James  and  John,  now  also 
'*  angels,"  and  are  given  full  authority  to  teach  and  administer 
the  ordinances  of  religion  in  the  name  of  Christ.  The  first 
event  is  thus  recorded  in  the  words  of  Smith  himself : 

44 


I 


PROPHET,  SEER  AND  REVELATOR  45 


"  We  still  continued  the  work  of  translation,  when,  in  the  ensuing  month 
(May,  1829),  we  on  a  certain  day  went  into  the  woods  to  pray  and  in- 
quire of  the  Lord  respecting  baptism  for  the  remission  of  sins,  that  we 
found  mentioned  in  the  translation  of  the  plates.  While  we  were  thus 
employed,  praying  and  calling  upon  the  Lord,  a  messenger  from  heaven 
descended  in  a  cloud  of  light,  and  having  laid  his  hands  upon  us,  he  or- 
dained us,  saying: 

"  Upon  you  my  fellow  servants,  in  the  name  of  Messiah,  I  confer  the 
Priesthood  of  Aaron,  which  holds  the  keys  of  the  ministering  of  angels, 
and  of  the  Gospel  of  repentance,  and  of  baptism  by  immersion  for  the  re- 
mission of  sins ;  and  this  shall  never  be  taken  again  from  the  earth,  until 
the  sons  of  Levi  do  offer  again  an  offering  unto  the  Lord  in  righteousness. 

"  He  said  this  Aaronic  Priesthood  had  not  the  power  of  laying  on  hands 
for  the  gift  of  the  Holy  Ghost,  but  that  this  should  be  conferred  on  us 
hereafter;  and  he  commanded  us  to  go  and  be  baptized,  and  gave  us  di- 
rections that  I  should  baptize  Oliver  Cowdery,  and  afterwards  that  he 
should  baptize  me.  Accordingly  we  went  and  were  baptized.  I  baptized 
him!  first,  and  afterwards  he  baptized  me,  after  which  I  laid  my  hands 
upon  his  head  and  ordained  him  to  the  Aaronic  Priesthood,  and  after- 
wards he  laid  his  hands  on  me  and  ordained  me  to  the  same  Priesthood 
—  for  so  we  were  commanded. 

"The  messenger  who  visited  us  on  this  occasion,  and  conferred  this 
Priesthood  upon  us,  said  that  his  name  was  John,  the  same  that  is  called 
John  the  Baptist  in  the  New  Testament,  and  that  he  acted  under  the  di- 
rection of  Peter,  James  and  John,  who  held  the  keys  of  the  Priesthood  of 
Melchisedek,  which  Priesthood  he  said  would  in  due  time  be  conferred  on 
us,  and  that  I  should  be  called  the  first  Elder  of  the  Church,  and  he  (Oli- 
ver Cowdery)  the  second.  It  was  on  the  15th  day  of  May,  1829,  that  we 
were  ordained  under  the  hand  of  this  messenger  and  baptized." —  History 
of  the  Church,  Vol.  I.,  pp.  30-41. 

As  may  be  readily  understood,  this  account  involves  quite  as 
great  an  element  of  the  unusual  and  supernatural  as  even  the 
reported  appearances  of  the  Angel  Moroni  in  Smith's  visions  of 
1823,  but  without  specifying  the  other  extraordinary  phenomena 
that  might  lead  a  psychologist  to  attribute  the  experience  to  some 
subjective  derangements  of  the  senses.  Moreover,  another 
person,  Oliver  Cowdery,  shares  this  vision,  and  makes  explicit 
testimony  to  its  reality  many  years  later.  The  case  with  him 
is  precisely  the  same  as  that  involved  in  the  testimonies  of  the 
three  witnesses  to  the  Book  of  Mormon,  as  already  discussed. 
Commenting  on  this  account,  Roberts  remarks  in  a  note: 

"  It  may  be  well  at  this  point  to  call  attention  to  the  singular  and  im- 
portant fact  that  the  Prophet,  neither  in  his  narrative  of  the  above  really 
great  and  dramatic  event,  nor  in  any  of  those  great  visions  and  revela- 
tions which  precede  or  follow  it,  stops  to  comment  or  grow  eloquent  over 
the  importance  of  an  administration  or  the  grandeur  of  an  occasion.  He 
may  never  have  heard  the  maxim,  *  A  true  tale  speeds  best  being  plainly 
told,*  but  had  he  heard  of  it  and  adopted  it  as  his  motto,  he  could  not 
have  followed  it  more  closely  than  unconsciously  he  has  done  in  his  nar- 
rative. He  seems  to  have  but  one  object  in  view,  and  that  is  to  get  on 
record  the  plain  truth  pertaining  to  the  coming  forth  of  the  work  of 
God.  Oliver  Cowdery,  however,  .  .  .  has  left  upon  record  a  description 
of  the  scene  and  the  impressions  it  left  upon  his  mind." — Ibid.,  p.  42  note. 


46  THE  REAL  MORMONISM 

In  a  public  address  delivered  on  the  occasion  of  his  return  to 
the  Church,  after  a  separation  of  eleven  years,  in  1848,  Cowdery 
expressly  reaffirmed  his  conviction  of  the  reality  of  this  ex- 
perience. Fourteen  years  before,  however,  previous  to  his  defec- 
tion from  the  Church,  he  had  written  a  full  and  lively  description 
of  it,  which  appeared  in  the  accredited  organ  of  the  Church.  It 
is  partly  as  follows : 

"  The  Lord,  who  is  rich  in  mercy,  and  ever  willing  to  answer  the  con- 
sistent prayer  of  the  humble,  after  we  had  called  upon  him  in  a  fervent 
manner,  aside  from  the  abodes  of  men,  condescended  to  manifest  to  us 
His  will.  On  a  sudden,  as  from  the  midst  of  eternity,  the  voice  of  the 
Redeemer  spake  peace  to  us,  while  the  veil  was  parted  and  the  angel  of 
God  came  down  clothed  with  glory,  and  delivered  the  anxiously  looked 
for  message,  and  the  keys  of  the  Gospel  of  repentance!  —  What  joy! 
What  wonder!  What  amazement!  ...  As  in  the  'blaze  of  day';  yes, 
more  —  above  the  glitter  of  the  May  sunbeam,  which  then  shed  its  bril- 
liancy over  the  face  of  nature !  Then  his  voice,  though  mild,  pierced  to 
the  center,  and  his  words,  *  I  am  thy  fellow-servant,'  dispelled  every  fear. 
We  listened,  we  gazed,  we  admired !  'Twas  the  voice  of  an  angel  from 
glory — 'twas  a  message  from  the  Most  High!  and  as  we  heard  we  re- 
joiced, while  His  love  enkindled  upon  our  souls,  and  we  were  rapt  in 
the  vision  of  the  Almighty!  Where  was  room  for  doubt?  Nowhere; 
uncertainty  had  fled,  doubt  had  sunk,  no  more  to  rise,  while  fiction  and 
deception  had  fled  forever! 

"  But,  dear  brother,  think,  further  think  for  a  moment,  what  joy  filled 
our  hearts  and  with  what  surprise  we  must  have  bowed  (for  who  would 
not  have  bowed  the  knee  for  such  a  blessing?),  when  we  received  under 
his  hand  the  Holy  Priesthood.  ... 

"I  shall  not  attempt  to  paint  to  you  the  feelings  of  this  heart,  nor  the 
majestic  beauty  and  glory  which  surrounded  us  on  this  occasion;  but 
you  will  believe  me  when  I  say,  that  earth,  nor  men,  with  the  eloquence 
of  time,  cannot  begin  to  clothe  language  in  as  interesting  and  sublime  a 
manner  as  this  holy  personage.  No ;  nor  has  this  earth  power  to  give  the 
joy,  to  bestow  the  peace,  or  comprehend  the  wisdom  which  was  contained 
in  each  sentence  as  they  were  delivered  by  the  power  of  the  Holy 
Spirit !  .  .  .  The  assurance  that  we  were  in  the  presence  of  an  angel ;  the 
certainty  that  we  heard  the  voice  of  Jesus,  and  the  truth  unsullied  as  it 
flowed  from  a  pure  personage,  dictated  by  the  will  of  God,  is  to  me,  past 
description,  and  I  shall  ever  look  upon  this  expression  of  the  Savior's 
goodness  with  wonder  and  thanksgiving  while  I  am  permitted  to  tarry, 
and  in  those  mansions  where  perfection  dwells  and  sin  never  comes,  I 
hope  to  adore  in  that  day  which  shall  never  cease." — Messenger  and  Ad- 
vocate, Oct,  1834,  pp.  15-16. 

It  is  needless  to  comment  on  any  such  statements.  The  con- 
viction occurs  strongly  that  its  author  is  either  telling  the  truth, 
or  else  deliberately  romancing.  That  it  is  the  result  of  "  hypno- 
tism "  or  other  obscure  mental  state  is  by  no  means  evident.  Nor 
could  any  such  theory  be  easily  supported,  as  we  have  already 
seen  in  another  connection.  Whatever  may  be  the  truth  of  the 
matter,  however,  the  fact  remains  that  both  Smith  and  Cowdery 
behaved,  thereafter,  as  if  the  experience  had  been  a  veritable 
reality.    Immediately  after  the  experience  reported  above,  the 


I 


PROPHET,  SEER  AND  REVELATOR  47 


baptism  of  converts  began,  and  within  the  succeeding  eleven 
months  about  forty  had  professed  behef  in  the  new  teachings. 
Finally,  on  April  6,  1830,  the  Church  was  formally  organized 
with  six  members  of  record,  to  wit:  Joseph  Smith,  Jr.,  his 
brothers,  Hyrum  and  Samuel  Harrison  Smith,  David  Whitmer 
and  his  brother,  Peter  Whitmer,  Jr.,  and  Oliver  Cowdery.  On 
this  occasion  Cowdery  was  formally  ordained  as  "  second  elder," 
and  with  Joseph  Smith  was  sustained  as  an  accepted  teacher  "  in 
the  things  of  the  Kingdom  of  God."  Smith  records  of  this  meet- 
ing: 

"  We  then  laid  our  hands  on  each  individual  member  of  the  Church 
present,  that  they  might  receive  the  gift  of  the  Holy  Ghost,  and  be  con- 
firmed members  of  the  Church  of  Christ.  The  Holy  Ghost  was  poured 
out  upon  us  to  a  very  great  degree  —  some  prophesied,  whilst  we  all 
praised  the  Lord,  and  rejoiced  exceedingly." — History  of  the  Church, 
Vol.  I.,  p.  78. 

Scarcely  had  the  Church  been  formally  organized,  and  the 
work  of  preaching  its  message  systematically  begun,  when  the 
conditions  characteristic  of  Mormon  history,  even  to  the  present 
day,  sprang  at  once  into  active  existence.  Foremost  among  these 
was  the  bitter  and  persecuting  spirit  which  still  survives,  and 
which  is  popularly  supposed  to  have  originated  in  indignation  at 
teachings  advocating  "  polygamy,"  and  other  "  immoralities," 
undreamed  of  by  Mormons,  or  others,  at  that  period.  Nor  can 
any  fears  of  "  political  menace  "  be  urged  in  explanation  for  the 
violence  perpetrated  on  a  few  dozen  obscure  and  uninfluential 
people.  Evidently,  as  previously  suggested,  the  heart  and  origin 
of  the  whole  opposition  to  Mormonism,  to-day  as  well  as  at  the 
beginning,  is  that  Joseph  Smith,  a  "  wanton  gospeler,"  had  under- 
taken to  found  a  new  religious  body  and  promulgate  teachings  out 
of  harmony  with  those  acceptable  to  the  regular  Protestant 
clergy.  Had  he  begun  as  a  recognized  preacher  of  some  estab- 
lished sect,  or  other,  the  case  would  have  been  different,  without 
doubt.  The  whole  character  of  the  proceedings  against  him  evi- 
dences this. 

The  first  recorded  arrest  and  trial  of  Joseph  Smith  took  place 
in  June,  1830,  after  several  days  of  popular  opposition  to  the 
attempts  of  Cowdery  to  baptize  converts  to  their  faith  in  a  stream 
near  the  house  of  a  certain  Joseph  Knight  at  Colesville,  New 
York.  The  charge  alleged  on  this  occasion  is  said  to  have  been 
"  disorderly  conduct,"  which  seems  to  have  consisted  principally 
in  the  act  of  "  setting  the  country  in  an  uproar  by  preaching  the 
Book  of  Mormon."  Of  course,  hostile  critics  of  Smith  allege 
that  the  arrest  was  caused  by  even  more  serious  "  misdoings  " 
on  his  part,  also  that  "  witnesses  were  intimidated."  In  default, 
however,  of  any  definite  and  reliable  proof  to  the  contrary,  it  is 


48  THE  REAL  MORMONISM 

safe  to  assume  the  truth  of  the  accounts  given  by  Smith  of  this 
episode,  which,  as  it  seems,  was  as  preposterous  an  example  of 
illegality  as  could  be  imagined.  An  episode  from  a  comic  opera, 
or  the  trial  of  the  famous  cause  Bardell  vs.  Pickwick,  could 
scarcely  exceed  the  absurdity  manifested  in  the  succeeding  trials 
before  local  courts.  Of  the  first  of  these  Smith  gives  the  follow- 
ing description: 

"  At  length  the  trial  commenced  amidst  a  multitude  of  spectators,  who 
in  general  evinced  a  belief  that  I  was  guilty  of  all  that  had  been  reported 
concerning  me,  and  of  course  were  very  zealous  that  I  should  be  punished 
according  to  my  crimes.  Among  many  witnesses  called  up  against  me, 
was  Mr.  Josiah  Stoal  —  of  whom  I  have  made  mention  as  having  worked 
for  him  some  time  —  and  examined  to  the  following  effect : 

"*Did  not  the  prisoner,  Joseph  Smith,  have  a  horse  of  you?" 

"*Yes.' 

"  *  Did  not  he  go  to  you  and  tell  you  that  an  angel  had  appeared  unto 
him  and  authorized  him  to  get  the  horse  from  you  ? ' 

"  *  No,  he  told  me  no  such  story/ 
,   "  *  Well,  how  had  he  the  horse  of  you?  ' 

"  *  He  bought  him  of  me  as  any  other  man  would.' 

"  *  Have  you  had  your  pay?  ' 

"  *  That  is  not  your  business.* 

"  The  question  being  again  put,  the  witness  replied : 

"  *  I  hold  his  note  for  the  price  of  the  horse,  which  I  consider  as  good 
as  the  pay;  for  I  am  well  acquainted  with  Joseph  Smith,  Jun.,  and  know 
him  to  be  an  honest  man ;  and  if  he  wishes,  I  am  ready  to  let  him  have 
another  horse  on  the  same  terms.' 

"After  a  few  more  such  attempts,  the  court  was  detained  for  a  time, 
in  order  that  two  young  women,  daughters  of  Mr.  Stoal,  with  whom  I 
had  at  times  kept  company,  might  be  sent  for,  in  order,  if  possible,  to  elicit 
something  from  them  which  might  be  made  a  pretext  against  me.  The 
young  ladies  arrived,  and  were  severally  examined  touching  my  character 
and  conduct  in  general,  but  particularly  as  to  my  behavior  towards  them, 
both  in  public  and  private;  when  they  both  bore  such  testimony  in  my 
favor  as  left  my  enemies  without  pretext  on  their  account." — History  of 
the  Church,  Vol.  I.,  pp.  89-91. 

At  the  conclusion  of  this  "  trial,"  which  seems  to  have  con- 
sisted in  a  series  of  vain  attempts  to  force  someone  or  other  to 
assume  the  role  of  accuser  against  Joseph  Smith  on  some  serious 
charge,  the  prisoner  was  released.  Almost  immediately,  how- 
ever, he  was  rearrested  on  a  warrant  found  in  another  county, 
and  was  hurried  thither  for  trial.  Here  similar  forcical  pro- 
ceedings took  place,  and  he  was  again  set  at  liberty.  Such  doings 
might  reasonably  be  declared  impossible,  even  considering  the 
very  irregular  methods  often  followed  in  rural  courts,  were  it 
not  for  the  fact,  which  seems  to  be  admitted  on  all  hands,  that 
the  arrest  of  Smith  always  followed  as  a  sort  of  climax  to  mob 
violence  and  disorder.  Whatever  Smith  may  have  done  on  any 
of  these  occasions,  it  would  seem  that  he  was  effectively  and 
ably  seconded  by  the  rest  of  the  population,  who,  in  spite  of  their 


PROPHET,  SEER  AND  REVELATOR  49 

"  righteous  indignation,"  seem  to  have  been  able  to  do  no  more 
than  fasten  upon  him  the  blame  for  their  own  acts  of  violence 
and  disorder  in  the  minds  of  the  already  prejudiced  pubhc. 
How  far  the  doings  of  these  mobs  may  be  credited  to  genuine 
popular  indignation  may  be  judged  as  the  story  proceeds.  One 
might  reasonably  expect  that  a  person  so  widely  accused  and  so 
often  arrested  amid  violent  manifestations  of  popular  detestation, 
might  at  least  have  been  found  guilty  of  some  of  the  grave  charges 
made  against  him  by  historians,  instead  of  being  repeatedly  ac- 
quitted, and,  when  held,  detained  only  under  circumstances  that 
permit  of  a  strong  suspicion  of  injustice. 

Immediately  after  his  discharge  by  the  courts  of  Chenango  and 
Broome  counties.  Smith  returned  to  his  interrupted  activities  for 
the  upbuilding  of  the  church,  which,  in  spite  of  all  unfavorable 
conditions,  seems  to  have  grown  steadily.  Among  the  notable 
movements  inaugurated  was  the  first  "  mission  of  the  Lamanites," 
or  Indians,  for  whose  conversion  a  number  of  elders  were  sent 
out.  Later  in  the  same  year,  as  the  result  of  missionary  effort, 
such  prominent  and  able  converts  as  Parley  P.  Pratt,  Sidney 
Rigdon,  Newel  K.  Whitney  and  Edward  Partridge  were  added 
to  the  membership.  In  this  same  year,  also,  appeared  the  dis- 
tinctive feature  of  the  Mormon  system  —  the  doctrine  of  "  gath- 
ering " —  which  has  always  differentiated  it  from  other  sects  and 
bodies  professing  Christianity. 

At  the  time  of  the  founding  of  the  Church,  Joseph  Smith  was 
but  four  months  over  twenty- four  years  of  age,  a  very  young 
man,  alike  in  years,  in  learning  and  in  experience.  In  view  of 
the  surroundings  of  his  birth  and  education,  his  prominence,  even 
locally,  at  this  early  age  is  remarkable;  whereas  the  maturity 
and  brilliancy  shown  in  his  formulations  of  the  new  Church,  and 
in  the  administrations  of  its  affairs,  must  seem  no  otherwise  than 
wonderful  to  a  fair  mind.  While  there  is  some  room  for  the 
theory  that  his  ideas  on  all  matters,  particularly  on  the  organiza- 
tion of  the  church,  were  gradually  developed,  there  is  also  quite 
as  good  reason  for  considering  his  claim  that  the  later  principles 
were  "  revealed  "  in  some  manner,  as  required  by  the  exigencies 
of  external  conditions.  To  have  formulated  and  have  attempted 
to  establish  the  organization  of  the  Church,  full-grown  and  com- 
plete, at  the  very  beginning  would  have  seemed  remarkable  to 
say  the  least.  Accordingly,  we  find  that  the  process  of  develop- 
ment follows  consecutive  and  logical  steps,  the  first  of  which  is 
to  gather  the  people,  the  latterly  to  organize  them  in  the  way 
considered  most  appropriate  and  effective.  Thus,  as  we  must 
agree,  this  doctrine  of  "gathering"  is  no  less  a  departure  than 
all  that  succeeded  it,  although  the  primitive  first  step  in  the  in- 


50  THE  REAL  MORMONISM 

auguration  of  the  "  work."    This  is  expressed  by  George  Q. 
Cannon,  as  follows: 

"  Teaching  of  the  doctrine  of  the  gathering  also  was  a  new  announce- 
ment to  the  world.  ^  The  belief  common  in  Christendom  was  that  man 
was  as  near  to  God  In  one  place  as  another,  and  He  could  be  worshipped 
everywhere  alike.  The  idea,  therefore,  of  converts  abandoning  home, 
with  all  its  delightful  associations  and  ancestral  memories,  and  going  to 
a  new  land,  remote  from  kindred  and  friends,  as  a  religious  duty  was  a 
startling  one  and  came  in  contact  with  all  pre-conceived  views.  Under 
the  inspiration,  however,  of  the  Lord,  Joseph  made  it  known  as  a  move- 
ment required  of  true  believers  by  the  Almighty  to  prepare  them  for 
coming  events.  It  was  a  bold  proclamation,  and  viewed  from  a  human 
standpoint,  was  likely  to  interfere  with  successful  conversions.  But  it 
was  from  the  Lord,  and  honest  seekers  after  truth  were  led  to  look  to 
Him  for  the  evidence  of  its  heavenly  origin.  The  result  came  in  due 
time,  and  should  have  been  convincing  to  every  human  soul." — Life  of 
Joseph  Smith  the  Prophet,  pp.  81-82. 

The  first  gathering-place  of  the  Church  was  at  Kirtland,  Ohio, 
although  early  in  1831  Smith  announced  a  revelation  to  the  effect 
that  Zion,  or  the  final  home  of  the  Saints,  was  to  be  in  Jackson 
county,  Missouri.  In  this  region,  as  he  claimed  also,  had  been 
enacted  many  of  the  important  events  of  antediluvian  and  early 
Biblical  times  —  here  was  located  the  city  of  Zion  built  by 
Enoch,  and  which,  according  to  a  new  version  of  the  old  story, 
now  first  given  to  the  world,  had  been  taken  up  to  God,  along 
with  its  founder  and  ruler  —  and  hither,  on  Smith's  advice, 
many  of  the  converts  to  the  Church  prepared  to  migrate.  Un- 
doubtedly the  story  of  Enoch,  as  the  founder,  priest  and  ruler 
of  a  perfect  community  of  people  —  and  in  this  respect  it  is  not 
wholly  out  of  accord  with  the  ancient  versions  of  his  life  and 
work,  as  given  in  the  Talmud,  and  in  other  Semitic  books  — 
played  a  profoundly  significant  part  in  guiding  the  movements  of 
Joseph  Smith.  In  a  revelation  dated  in  March  1832  {Doctrine 
and  Covenants,  Section  Ixxviii),  in  which  he  is  himself  addressed 
as  Enoch,*  the  design  was  undoubtedly  originated  in  his  mind 
of  realizing  on  earth  again  the  perfection  of  society  said  to  have 
been  found  in  the  time  of  the  ancient  patriarch  of  the  same  name. 
For  the  achievement  of  this  prodigious  ideal,  the  working-out  of 
the  very  reforms  for  which  the  world  is  still  sadly  in  need,  the 
gathering  of  communities  of  righteous  people,  devoted  to  per- 
forming the  law  of  God  in  its  fulness,  appeared  as  an  essential 
element  of  the  "Latter-day  Gospel."  This  seems  to  be  ex- 
pressed in  the  words  of  a  revelation  dated  March  7,  1831,  as 
follows : 

"  I  have  sent  mine  everlasting  covenant  into  the  world,  to  be  a  light 

•  In  several  places  in  the  Doctrine  and  Covenants  fictitious  designations  are  used 
for  both  persons  and  things.  This  is  explained  as  due  to  changes  made  for  the  sake 
of  rendering  the  reference  obscure  to  hostile  readers. 


PROPHET,  SEER  AND  REVELATOR  51 

to  the  world,  and  to  be  a  standard  for  my  people  and  for  the  Gentiles 
to  seek  to  it,  and  to  be  a  messenger  before  my  face  to  prepare  the  way 
before  me ;  wherefore,  come  ye  unto  it,  and  with  him  that  cometh  I  will 
reason  as  with  men  in  days  of  old,  and  I  will  show  unto  you  my  strong 
reasoning,  wherefore  hearken  ye  together  and  let  me  show  it  unto  you, 
even  my  wisdom  —  the  wisdom  of  him  whom  ye  say  is  the  God  of  Enoch, 
and  his  brethren,  who  were  separated  from  the  earth,  and  were  received 
unto  myself  —  a  city  reserved  until  a  day  of  righteousness  shall  come 
—  a  day  which  was  sought  for  by  all  holy  men,  and  they  found  it  not  be- 
cause of  wickedness  and  abominations;  and  confessed  they  were  stran- 
gers and  pilgrims  on  the  earth ;  but  obtained  a  promise  that  they  should 
find  it  and  see  it  in  their  flesh." —  Doctrine  and  Covenants,  xlv.  9-14. 

The  lofty  ideal  embodied  in  this  and  other  revelations  un- 
derlay also  the  motives  involved  in  the  organization  of  the  Order 
of  Enoch,  which  is  discussed  at  another  place.  Nor,  apart  from 
the  confident  promise  of  direct  communion  with  God,  on  the 
condition  of  obedience  to  the  law  of  righteousness,  a  distinctly 
and  validly  religious  consideration,  is  it  evident  to  the  candid 
student  that  Smith  used  any  other  inducements,  such  as  assur- 
ances of  the  foundation  of  an  earthly  Paradise.  His  appeal 
gathered  around  him  a  company  of  disciples,  evidently  sincerely 
convinced  of  the  truth  of  his  message,  and,  as  events  proved, 
amply  ready  and  willing  to  brave  persecution.  Such  converts 
may  be  acquired,  perhaps,  by  many  preachers  with  a  message, 
but  not  every  such  person  can  hold  them  together  in  the  face  of 
truculent  assaults.  Also,  as  is  evident,  not  every  such  person 
can  himself  endure  the  brunt  of  persecution.  The  successful 
leader  of  men  must  be  endowed  with  firm  conviction,  courage, 
and  undaunted  determination.  The  possession  of  these  high 
qualities  by  Joseph  Smith  demonstrates  that  his  primary  sig- 
nificance to  history  is  in  the  character  of  a  leader  and  executive 
of  the  highest  ability,  whose  influence,  nevertheless,  was  based 
in  an  enthusiasm  far  greater  than  either  mere  personal  advan- 
tage or  the  achievement  of  temporal  good  ends.  Smith  has 
been  compared  to  the  Italian  insurgent  reformer,  Rienzi,  who  in 
the  fourteenth  century  achieved  the  liberation  of  Rome  from  the 
clutches  of  a  corrupt  oligarchy,  and  made  himself  "  tribune  "  by 
virtue  of  his  high  qualities  as  a  popular  leader.  It  is  well  to 
note,  however,  the  very  essential  difference  between  these  two 
forceful  men,  in  the  fact  that  Rienzi's  movement  led  direct  to 
his  own  elevation  to  the  seat  of  government,  and  that  it  collapsed 
with  his  downfall.  Smith,  on  the  other  hand,  although  he  care- 
fully reserved  for  himself  the  direction  of  affairs  during  his  own 
life-time,  promulgated  the  details  of  a  splendidly-conceived  or- 
ganization, which  has  proved  a  vital  and  persistent  reality  to  this 
very  day.  Indeed,  as  stated  by  himself,  his  motives  in  the 
founding  of  his  church  organization  had  precisely  this  signifi- 


S2  THE  REAL  MORMONISM 

cance.    Thus,  under  date  March  27,  1832,  he  makes  the  follow- 
ing entry  in  his  journal: 

"  We  transacted  considerable  business  for  the  salvation  of  the  Saints, 
who  were  settling  among  a  ferocious  set  of  mobbers,  like  lambs  among 
wolves.  It  was  my  endeavor  to  so  organize  the  Church,  that  the  breth- 
ren might  eventually  be  independent  of  every  incumbrance  beneath  the 
celestial  kingdom,  by  bonds  and  covenants  of  mutual  friendship,  and  mu- 
tual love."—  History  of  the  Church,  Vol.  I.,  p.  269. 

It  has  been  said  in  way  of  criticism  of  Smith's  motives  that 
he  used  his  forceful  and  persuasive  powers  to  induce  people  to 
settle  in  localities  in  which  very  many  of  them  were,  unfortu- 
nately, maltreated,  despoiled  or  killed  by  "  unmanageable  mobs  " ; 
and  this  alleged  fact  is  supposed  to  be  very  much  to  his  discredit. 
It  is  well  to  note,  however,  that  in  every  settlement  made  under 
his  direction,  or  at  his  instigation,  the  people  were  carefully  and 
stably  organized,  and  in  such  fashion  that,  could  the  violence  of 
mobs  have  been  escaped,  such  settlements  must  have  continued 
both  prosperous  and  orderly.  The  wonderful  solidarity  of  the 
Mormon  people,  which  is  a  fact  only  too  evident  to  admit  of 
denial,  is  attributed  by  the  Prophet  himself  to  the  inculcation 
and  living  of  "  correct  principles "  of  life  and  truth.  In  a 
familiar  quotation  he  is  represented  as  stating  this.  Thus,  "  To 
one  who  inquired  how  he  governed  men  so  well,  he  said:  *  I  do 
not  govern  them;  I  teach  them  correct  principles,  and  they  gov- 
ern themselves.' "  His  method  is  outlined  in  his  own  words,  as 
follows : 

"  The  inquiry  is  frequently  made  of  me,  *  Wherein  do  you  differ  from 
others  in  your  religious  views  ? '  In  reality  and  essence  we  do  not  differ 
so  far  in  our  religious  views,  but  that  we  could  all  drink  into  one  prin- 
ciple of  love.  One  of  the  grand  fundamental  principles  of  *  Mormonism ' 
is  to  receive  truth,  let  it  come  from  whence  it  may. 

"...  If  a  skillful  mechanic,  in  taking  a  welding  heat,  uses  borax,  alum, 
etc.,  and  succeeds  in  welding  together  iron  or  steel  more  perfectly  than 
any  other  mechanic,  is  he  not  deserving  of  praise?  And  if  by  the  prin- 
ciples of  truth  I  succeed  in  uniting  men  of  all  denominations  in  the  bonds 
of  love,  shall  I  not  have  attained  a  good  object? 

"...  I  will  not  seek  to  compel  any  man  to  believe  as  I  do,  only  by  the 
force  of  reasoning,  for  truth  will  cut  its  own  way.  Do  you  believe  in 
Jesus  Christ  and  the  Gospel  of  salvation  which  He  revealed?  So  do  I. 
Christians  should  cease  wrangling  and  contending  with  each  other,  and 
cultivate  the  principles  of  union  and  friendship  in  their  midst;  and  they 
will  do  it  before  the  millennium  can  be  ushered  in  and  Christ  takes  pos- 
session of  His  kingdom." — History  of  the  Church,  Vol.  V.,  p.  499- 

It  was  in  Kirtland,  Ohio,  that  the  essential  social  principles 
of  Mormonism  were  first  promulgated.  Here  several  revela- 
tions were  received  requiring  such  members  of  the  Church  as 
possessed  lands  to  share  them  with  the  incoming  new  arrivals 
from  the  east,  in  order  that  all  might  have  the  means  of  self-sup- 
port, until  the  affairs  of  the  community  could  be  so  settled  that 


PROPHET,  SEER  AND  REVELATOR  53 

each  could  purchase  and  own  his  own  home.  The  law  of  con- 
secrated property  and  stewardship  was  also  promulgated,  and,  in 
several  instances,  the  Saints  were  urged  to  hold  their  surplus  at 
the  requisition  of  the  Church  authorities,  for  the  benefit  of  the 
whole  people.  Of  course,  hostile  and  disingenuous  critics  have 
asserted  that  all  these  advices  and  commands  were  only  so  many 
attempts  to  appropriate  the  funds  of  converts  for  the  benefit  of 
certain  "  ringleaders."  The  fact  remains,  however,  that  al- 
though considerable  properties  were  actually  assigned  to  their 
owners  as  "  stewardships,"  the  only  ones  mentioned  by  name  in 
authoritative  documents  belonged  to  recognized  leaders  of  the 
Church.  Thus,  to  Sidney  Rigdon  is  appointed  his  residence  and 
tannery  (Doctrine  and  Covenants,  civ.  20-23)  ;  to  Martin  Harris 
is  appointed  "a  lot  of  land"  (Ibid.  24-25);  also  stewardships 
are  appointed  to  Frederick  G.  Williams  (Ibid,  27),  Oliver  Cow- 
drey  (Ibid.  28-33),  John  Johnson  (Ibid.  34-38),  and  Newel  K. 
Whitney  (Ibid.  39-42).  Furthermore,  the  surplus  of  such 
stewardships,  or  moneys  derived  from  other  ready  sources,  were 
largely  expended  in  the  benefit  of  the  whole  people.  It  would 
be  difficult,  on  another  supposition,  to  account  for  the  constantly 
increasing  prosperity  of  the  settlement  in  and  about  Kirtland, 
which,  like  all  others  founded  by  Smith  and  his  associates,  was 
constantly  interfered  with,  and  eventually  scattered  by  disor- 
derly mobs.  Considerable  capital  has  also  been  made  in  the  fact 
that  a  banking  establishment,  the  Kirtland  Safety  Society,  of 
which  Smith  was  president  for  a  time  and  Rigdon  cashier, 
proved  a  disastrous  failure.  There  is  no  proof,  however,  in 
spite  of  the  bitter  denunciations  among  both  outsiders  and 
church  members  —  several  of  the  latter  "  apostatized  "  on  this 
account  —  that  either  of  the  leading  officers  of  this  concern 
profited  in  any  way.  A  certain  Warren  Parrish,  employed  in 
the  bank  is  known  to  have  embezzled  a  large  sum  —  $30,000  is 
the  amount  named  —  and  by  this  misfortune  the  concern  seems 
to  have  been  crippled.  As  failure  in  a  business  venture  is  not 
classed  among  crimes  in  civiHzed  communities  —  unless,  indeed, 
it  results  in  the  poverty  of  those  who  fail,  if  we  may  judge  from 
the  prevailing  methods  in  such  cases  —  the  following  resume  of 
this  notorious  incident  is  in  place : 

"  The  Kirtland  *  boom ' —  as  it  would  now  be  styled  —  began  in  the  sum- 
mer or  fall  of  1836,  and  during  the  following  winter  and  spring  went 
rushing  and  roaring  on  toward  the  whirlpool  of  financial  ruin  that  soon 
swallowed  it.  The  all-prevailing  desire  to  amass  wealth  did  not  confine 
itself  to  mercantile  pursuits,  real  estate  dealings,  and  other  branches  of 
business  of  a  legitimate  if  much  inflated  character,  but  was  productive  of 
*  wild-cat '  schemes  of  every  description,  enterprises  in  every  respect  frau- 
dulent, designed  as  traps  for  the  unwary. 

"  An  effort  was  made  by  the  Prophet,  who  foresaw  the  inevitable  dis- 


54  THE  REAL  MORMONISM 

aster  that  awaited,  to  stem  the  tide  of  recklessness  and  corruption  now 
threatening  to  sweep  everjrthing  before  it.  For  this  purpose  the  Kirtland 
Safety  Society  was  organized,  the  main  object  of  which  was  to  control 
the  prevailing  sentiment  and  direct  it  in  legitimate  channels.  The 
Prophet  and  some  of  his  staunchest  supporters  became  officers  and  mem- 
bers of  this  association. 

"The  career  of  the  Kirtland  Bank  was  very  brief.  Unable  to  collect 
its  loans,  victimized  by  counterfeiters,  and  robbed  by  some  of  its  own  of- 
ficials —  subordinates  having  charge  of  the  funds  —  it  soon  collapsed.  A 
heroic  effort  was  made  to  save  it.  Well-to-do  members  of  the  Church  beg- 
gared themselves  to  buy  up  the  bank's  floating  paper  and  preserve  its  credit. 
But  in  vain.  In  common  with  many  other  banks  and  business  houses 
throughout  the  country, —  for  it  was  a  year  of  general  financial  disaster, 
—  it  went  down  in  the  ruinous  crash  of  1837. 

"Another  opportunity  was  thus  given  to  heap  censure  upon  the 
Prophet ;  an  opportunity  of  which  his  enemies,  in  and  out  of  the  Church, 
quickly  availed  themselves.  As  a  matter  of  fact  Joseph  had  withdrawn 
from  the  Society  some  time  before,  not  being  satisfied  with  the  way 
events  were  shaping.  It  mattered  not.  Someone  had  done  wrong,  and 
someone  must  be  blamed.  As  usual  the  most  prominent  target  was  the 
one  fired  at.  Before  this,  however,  so  intense  had  become  the  feeling 
against  the  Prophet  at  Kirtland,  that  it  was  almost  as  much  as  one's  life 
was  worth  to  defend  him  against  his  accusers." —  Orson  F,  Whitney,  His- 
tory of  Utah,  Vol.  I.,  pp.  132-133. 

During  the  seven  years  of  Mormon  residence  in  Kirtland  it 
seems  that  a  thrifty  and  prosperous  settlement  was  built  up. 
Farming  and  other  industries  were  successfully  conducted,  and 
large  bands  of  converts  and  new  accessions  to  the  settlement 
were  constantly  being  received  and  provided  for.  The  first 
regular  church  building,  or  '*  temple,"  was  also  erected,  entirely 
by  the  voluntary  subscriptions  of  the  Church  membership,  and 
the  essential  laws  and  regulations  of  the  "  new  dispensation " 
were  formulated.  This  building,  which  still  stands,  is  an  espe- 
cially holy  place  in  the  eyes  of  devout  Mormons  from  the  addi- 
tional reasons  that  within  its  walls  several  important  revelations 
are  believed  to  have  been  received,  and,  as  testified  by  Smith, 
Rigdon  and  Cowdery,  visions  of  Christ  and  of  several  ancient 
saints  and  prophets  were  also  manifested.  Whatever  may  have 
been  Smith's  failures,  or  however  much  he  may  have  excited 
"  intense  feeling "  against  himself,  it  must  seem  no  less  than 
remarkable  that  he  could  so  successfully  maintain  the  double 
office  of  "  prophet,  seer  and  revelator "  with  that  of  practical 
executive  and  temporal  leader.  He  seems  to  have  been  able,  not 
only  to  inspire  a  mystical  enthusiasm  for  the  "things  of  the 
spirit,"  but  also  to  lead  practical  men  of  affairs  to  combine 
efficiently  for  the  general  good.  If.  as  claimed,  he  used  "  hyp- 
notism "  to  persuade  the  three  witnesses  that  they  had  seen  an 
angel,  it  might  be  in  place  to  inquire  what  order  of  influence  he 
employed  to  achieve  such  remarkable  results  at  the  very  begin- 


^%i 


PROPHET,  SEER  AND  REVELATOR  55 


ing  of  his  career  as  leader  and  guide  of  hundreds  and  thou- 
sands of  people. 

Nor,  in  the  midst  of  his  other  activities,  all  successful  for  the 
general  good,  did  the  Prophet  omit  the  consideration  of  educa- 
tion. Thus,  as  early  as  June,  1831,  the  following  revelation  is 
recorded,  with  specific  directions  to  one  William  W.  Phelps: 

"  Behold,  thus  saith  the  Lord  unto  you,  my  servant  William,  yea,  even 
the  Lord  of  the  whole  earth,  thou  art  called  and  chosen,  .  .  .  and  again, 
you  shall  be  ordained  to  assist  my  servant  Oliver  Cowdery  to  do  the 
work  of  printing,  and  of  selecting,  and  writing  books  for  schools  in  this 
church,  that  little  children  also  may  receive  instruction  before  me  as  is 
pleasing  unto  me." —  Doctrine  and  Covenants,  Iv.  1-4. 

About  one  year  later,  in  the  first  number  of  the  Evening  and 
Morning  Star  of  Independence,  Mo.,  the  following  appeared: 
"  The  disciples  should  lose  no  time  in  preparing  schools  for  their  chil- 
dren, that  they  may  be  taught  as  is  pleasing  unto  the  Lord,  and  brought 
up  in  the  way  of  holiness.  Those  appointed  to  select  and  prepare  books 
for  the  use  of  schools,  will  attend  to  that  subject,  as  soon  as  more  weighty 
matters  are  finished.  But  the  parents  and  guardians,  in  the  Church  of 
Christ  need  not  wait  —  it  is  all  important  that  children,  to  become  good 
should  be  taught  so,  (good).  ...  A  word  to  the  wise  ought  to  be  suf- 
ficient, for  children  soon  become  men  and  women.  Yes,  they  are  they  that 
must  follow  us,  and  perform  the  duties  which,  not  only  appertain  to  this 
world,  but  to  the  second  coming  of  the  Savior,  even  preparing  for  the 
Sabbath  of  creation,  and  for  eternity." 

In  addition  to  these  occasional  expressions,  it  may  be  safe  to 
state  that  the  enthusiasm  for  education  is  an  essential  part  of 
the  Mormon  system.  Thus,  in  the  authoritative  works  of  the 
Church  occur  the  following: 

"  Whatever  principles  of  intelligence  we  attain  unto  in  this  life,  it  will 
rise  with  us  in  the  resurrection ;  and  if  a  person  gains  more  knowledge 
and  intelligence  in  this  life  through  his  diligence  and  obedience  than  an- 
other, he  will  have  so  much  the  advantage  in  the  world  to  come." — Doc- 
trine and  Covenants,  cxxx.  18-19. 

In  the  public  utterances  of  Joseph  Smith  perfectly  similar 
ideas  are  found  expressed.    Thus: 

"  The  glory  of  God  is  intelligence,  or,  in  other  words,  light  and  truth." 
—  Ibid.,  xciii.  36. 

"  A  man  is  saved  no  faster  than  he  get  knowledge,  for  if  he  does  not 
get  knowledge,  he  will  be  brought  into  captivity  by  some  evil  power  in  the 
other  world,  as  evil  spirits  will  have  more  knowledge,  and  consequently 
more  power  than  many  men  who  are  on  the  earth.  Hence  it  needs  reve- 
lation to  assist  us,  and  give  us  knowledge  of  the  things  of  God." — His- 
torv  of  the  Church,  Vol.  IV.  p.  588. 

The  more  sure  word  of  prophecy  means  a  man's  knowing  that  he  is 
sealed  up  unto  eternal  life  by  revelation  and  the  spirit  of  prophecy, 
through  the  power  of  the  holy  priesthood.  It  is  impossible  fdr  a  man  to 
be  saved  in  ignorance." —  Ibid.,  Vol.  V.  p.  392, 

"  And  I  give  unto  you  a  commandment,  that  you  shall  teach  one  another 
the  doctrine  of  the  kingdom;  teach  ye  diligently  and  my  grace  shall  at- 


56  THE  REAL  MORMONISM 

tend  you,  that  you  may  be  instructed  more  perfectly  in  theory,  in  prin- 
ciple, in  doctrine,  in  the  law  of  the  gospel,  in  all  things  that  pertain  unto 
the  kingdom  of  God,  that  are  expedient  for  you  to  understand ;  of  things 
both  in  heaven  and  in  the  earth,  and  under  the  earth ;  things  which  have 
been,  things  which  are,  things  which  must  shortly  come  to  pass ;  things 
which  are  at  home,  things  which  are  abroad ;  the  wars  and  the  perplexi- 
ties of  the  nations,  and  the  judgments  which  are  on  the  land,  and  a  knowl- 
edge also  of  countries  and  of  kingdoms." — Doctrine  and  Covenants, 
Ixxxiii.  77-79. 

Such  teachings  were  undoubtedly  understood  by  many  of  the 
Prophet's  associates  to  refer  to  intellectual  training,  for  which  a 
considerable  enthusiasm  was  manifested  at  various  times.  Thus, 
among  other  educational  institutions  founded  by  the  direction  of 
Joseph  Smith  was  a  class  in  Hebrew,  under  the  instruction  of  a 
certain  Dr.  Seixas,  a  Jewish  scholar  apparently  well  equipped  to 
teach  the  language  and  literature  of  his  people.  Under  him 
Smith  himself  studied  the  Hebrew  language,  which  he  continued 
later  under  another  scholar  named  Piexotto.  He  evidently  be- 
lieved in  his  own  teachings  to  this  extent,  at  least.  It  is  also  af- 
fecting to  read  that  some  of  his  converts,  men  of  force  and  char- 
acter, but  of  defective  youthful  advantages,  eagerly  sought  to 
supplement  their  lack  by  availing  themselves  of  present  oppor- 
tunities. Thus  Wilford  Woodruff,  subsequently  president  of  the 
Church,  records  in  his  voluminous  and  carefully  kept  journal: 

"  Having  returned  from  my  southern  mission  in  the  autumn  of  1836,  in 
company  with  Elders  A.  O.  Smoot  and  Jesse  Turpin,  I  spent  the  follow- 
ing winter  in  Kirtland.  During  this  time  I  received  my  endowments  and 
attended  the  school  of  Professor  Haws,  who  taught  Greek,  Latin  and 
English  grammar.  I  confined  my  studies  mostly  to  Latin  and  English 
grammar." — Leaves  from  my  Journal,  p.  25. 

What  other  object  could  exist  in  the  mind  of  Mr.  Woodruff 
that  should  prompt  him  at  the  age  of  thirty  years  to  seek  to  per- 
fect himself  in  rudimentary  branches,  besides  a  desire  to  prepare 
thereby  for  a  more  effective  ministry?  His  course,  which  was 
adopted  by  numerous  others  similarly  circumstanced  certainly 
evidences  the  fact  that  the  influence  of  Joseph  Smith  and  of  his 
teachings  moved  men  to  seek  improvement  and  better  equipment. 
Such  facts  in  themselves  are  sufficient  to  discredit  the  vulgar 
theory  that  Smith  was  merely  a  semi-insane  and  venal  "  hyp- 
notist,'* and  evidence  the  contention  that,  whatever  his  character 
or  motives  in  any  particular  respect,  he  was  certainly  a  wonder- 
ful and  inspiring  leader  of  men,  one  also  worthy  to  rank  with 
Napoleon  in  ability  to  stimulate  enthusiasm  for  a  cause,  and 
devotion  to  his  own  person.  The  Spaulding  hypothesis,  in  which 
some  still  profess  belief,  credits  Sidney  Rigdon  with  a  phenom- 
enal judgment  of  human  nature,  when,  as  asserted,  he  chose  this 
man  for  his  "  publisher  "  and  *'  mouthpiece." 


PROPHET,  SEER  AND  REVELATOR      57 

However,  the  influence  of  Joseph  Smith  among  his  followers 
was  by  no  means  confined  to  matters  didactic,  educational  or 
communal.  It  seems  veritably  to  have  endowed  them  with  the 
ability,  as  mentioned  by  him,  of  "  governing  themselves."  While 
he  was  residing  principally  in  Kirtland,  Ohio,  with  only  an  occa- 
sional visit  to  the  regions  further  west,  a  thriving  colony  was 
being  built  up  at  Independence,  Jackson  county,  Missouri,  on 
the  revealed  site  of  the  future  Zion.  Here,  as  at  Kirtland, 
within  a  very  few  years,  a  thriving  settlement  was  built  up  by 
people  who  had  journeyed  from  their  former  homes  in  New 
York  and  Ohio,  through  a  rough  and  virgin  country  for  most  of 
the  distance  of  between  900  and  1,200  miles.  Although  set- 
tling in  a  wild  and  primitive  region,  whose  white  inhabitants 
were  mostly  of  the  frontier  type  of  that  day,  neither  enjoying 
nor  desiring  any  of  the  benefits  of  civilization,  the  Mormons 
immediately  set  about  introducing  the  elements  of  refined  living. 
They  laid  out  and  cultivated  farms,  introduced  various  industries 
and  mercantile  enterprises,  and  began  the  publication  of  a  news- 
paper, The  Upper  Missouri  Advertiser,  and  a  monthly  periodical, 
The  Evening  and  Morning  Star.  The  printing  office  then  opened 
by  them  was,  as  claimed,  farther  west  by  250  miles  than  any 
other  then  existing  in  the  United  States. 

Besides  building  up  Independence,  the  Mormon  people  estab- 
lished farming  settlements  in  the  neighborhood  of  the  Big  Blue, 
immediately  southeast  of  the  present  location  of  Kansas  City; 
and  within  two  years  nearly  1,200  members  of  the  Church,  prin- 
cipally from  New  York,  Ohio,  and  other  northeastern  states,  had 
located  in  the  confines  of  Jackson  county.  In  spite  of  these,  and 
othef,  evidences  of  good  citizenship,  these  people  were  driven 
from  the  county  by  disorderly  mobs  in  1833,  and  were  requested 
to  leave  Clay  county,  where  they  had  sought  refuge,  in  1836. 
They  then  migrated  to  the  northern  parts  of  Missouri,  then 
largely  unsettled,  and  became  the  first  inhabitants  of  the  present 
Caldwell  and  Daviess  counties.  During  the  years  1836,  1837, 
and  1838  over  12,000  Latter-day  Saints  settled  in  this  region, 
principally  in  Caldwell  county,  and  as  the  result  of  their  efforts 
the  whole  country  was  transformed  from  a  wild  prairie  into  a 
flourishing  farming  country.  They  also  founded  the  city  of  Far 
West  in  Caldwell  county,  and  the  villages  of  Spring  Hill  and 
Adam-ondi-Ahman  (later  called  Diahman)  in  Daviess  county. 
Nevertheless,  their  industry  and  enterprise  counted  for  nothing; 
for,  within  three  years,  they  were  again  driven,  this  time  from 
the  confines  of  the  state,  and,  migrating  eastward,  joined  their 
fellow-religionists  from  Ohio  in  founding  the  city  of  Nauvoo  on 
the  Mississippi  River  in  Hancock  county,  Illinois.     Here  they 


58  THE  REAL  MORMONISM 

were  allowed  to  remain  for  about  eight  years,  again  achieving 
many  things  worthy  a  place  in  the  world's  history.  Then,  be- 
cause of  intolerable  persecution,  persistently  and  systematically 
inflicted,  virtually  the  entire  population  again  migrated,  this  time 
to  the  Rocky  Mountain  region,  in  the  confines  of  the  present 
state  of  Utah,  where  they  still  remain. 

We  have  learned  already  how  that  the  influence  of  this  man, 
who,  as  some  insist,  was  a  sodden  ignoramus,  availed  to  inspire 
many  to  seek  wider  educational  advantages,  and  otherwise  to 
improve  themselves.  We  have  also  learned  that  through  his 
leadership  several  thriving  settlements  were  founded,  first  in 
Ohio,  later  in  Missouri,  and  that,  in  loyalty  to  the  teachings  pro- 
mulgated by  him,  the  people  were  kept  together,  in  the  face  of 
brutal  persecutions.  There  were  defections,  of  course;  many  of 
the  Church  fell  away  from  their  allegiance  and  professions  — 
nor  is  this  surprising  —  but  the  greater  body  of  them  held  to- 
gether with  a  tenacity  worthy  to  rank  as  heroic.  There  are  sev- 
eral touching  incidents  in  the  course  of  this  "  Mormon  war  "  in 
Missouri,  which  should  shed  a  valuable  side-light  on  the  quality 
of  the  influence  that  held  them  together.  Among  these  is  the 
striking  testimony  of  David  W.  Patten,  one  of  the  apostles,  who, 
in  a  vain  attempt  to  rescue  certain  of  the  Mormons  held  in  cap- 
tivity by  the  mob,  and  threatened  with  death,  was  himself  shot 
and  mortally  wounded.  As  he  lay  dying,  he  remarked  simply  to 
his  wife,  "  Whatever  you  do  else,  oh,  do  not  deny  the  faith." 
It  was  evidently  a  faith  fit  for  heroes  of  which  he  spoke.  In 
any  other  connection,  as  we  cannot  doubt,  such  words  would  be 
widely  quoted  among  the  "  dying  sayings "  of  great  and  good 
men,  and  preserved  for  the  edification  of  posterity.  For  Patten, 
at  least,  the  religion  preached  by  Joseph  Smith  was  a  great  and 
beautiful  reality.  Nor  do  people  originate  in  themselves  all  the 
faith  and  consolations  which  they  profess  to  find  in  their  re- 
ligion.    There  was  a  reality  behind  it  all,  and  it  was  Christian. 

In  the  movement  of  the  Mormons,  between  twelve  and  fifteen 
thousand  strong,  from  the  state  of  Missouri,  there  was  oppor- 
tunity for  the  emergence  of  another  colossal  figure,  whose  name 
survives  among  the  heroes  of  America  —  Brigham  Young.  It 
was  upon  his  shoulders,  as  head  of  the  Apostolic  body  that  the 
duty  of  conducting  the  exodus  fell,  suddenly  and  unexpectedly, 
almost  like  a  destiny,  through  the  defection  of  several  of  the 
other  officers  who  had  ranked  him  in  the  quorum.  Immediately, 
however,  he  took  up  his  duties,  and  discharged  them  with  the 
vigor  and  directness  that  characterized  all  his  doings.  Brought 
to  the  leadership  of  a  band  of  people,  many  of  whom  had  been 
despoiled  to  the  last  remnants  of  fortune,  and  were  reduced  to 


PROPHET,  SEER  AND  REVELATOR  59 

abject  misery  and  dependence,  he  showed  at  once  how  seriously 
he  regarded  his  title  of  "apostle."  He  became  the  friend  and 
protector  of  the  poor,  and  exerted  himself  to  enforce  the  deter- 
mination that,  in  accord  with  the  principles  of  the  Gospel,  those 
who  had  saved  anything  should  share  it  with  all  who  had  been 
despoiled.  Late  in  September,  1838,  he  called  a  meeting  of  his 
leaders  and  proposed  the  following  resolution,  which  he  enforced 
to  the  letter,  so  far  as  he  had  influence : 

"Resolved,  That  we  this  day  enter  into  a  covenant  to  stand  by  and  as- 
sist each  other,  to  the  utmost  of  our  abilities,  in  removing  from  this  state, 
and  that  we  will  never  desert  the  poor  who  are  worthy,  till  they  shall  be 
out  of  the  reach  of  the  general  exterminating  order  of  General  Clark,  act- 
ing for  and  in  the  name  of  the  state." 

Except  for  the  faithful  performance  of  this  resolution  by  the 
people  and  their  leaders,  it  would  be  difficult  to  explain  how 
large  bodies  of  refugees  could  have  been  guided  safely  out  of 
Missouri,  and  into  Iowa  and  lUinois,  even  in  the  face  of  hard- 
ships, of  the  constant  danger  of  defections  from  their  ranks,  and 
the  bald  uncertainty  as  to  their  destination,  or  as  to  the  future 
of  the  very  Church  itself.  At  times,  indeed,  it  seemed  as  though 
the  end  of  the  Mormon  Church  were  at  hand,  and  that  its  people 
were  to  be  scattered  abroad.  Joseph  Smith  and  his  brother 
Hyrum,  with  Sidney  Rigdon,  constituting  the  Presidency,  were 
imprisoned  in  Missouri,  in  constant  seeming  danger  of  death, 
but  this  fact  did  not  discourage  Brigham  Young,  nor  any  of  the 
stronger  men  around  him,  and  to  their  courage  and  downright 
faith  in  something  that  seemed  grand  and  beautiful  to  them,  is 
to  be  awarded  a  very  large  part  of  the  credit  for  bringing  this 
army  of  helpless  refugees  out  of  the  reach  of  their  enemies,  and 
to  another  abiding  place. 

Of  course,  as  must  be  acknowledged  by  all  candid  minds,  such 
men  as  Patten,  Young,  Kimball,  and  a  score  of  others  among  the 
companions  and  coadjutors  of  Joseph  Smith,  were  men  built  on 
a  large  scale,  men  worthy  to  rank  as  heroes  —  if  we  may  judge 
from  the  way  in  which  they  deported  themselves  in  trying  and 
difficult  conditions  —  but  it  is  truly  interesting  how  large  a 
number  of  such  men  Smith  actually  succeeded  in  attracting  and 
inspiring.  That  his  message  was  something  real  and  vital  to 
them  —  and  to  all  others  of  his  followers,  is  undoubted,  but  the 
highest  tributes  are  paid  to  his  own  personality,  leadership,  abil- 
ity and  courage.  That  his  influence  is  to  be  credited  to  any  such 
devices  as  "  hypnotism,"  or  any  other  form  of  chicane  pretend- 
ing, or  that  he  was  an  ingenious,  plausible  and  indefatigable 
"  imposter,"  are  suggestions  altogether  too  stupid  and  vulgar  to 
deserve  a  moment's  discussion.  Whatever  he  may  be  supposed 
to  have  done  in  cases  in  which,  in  his  presence,  wonderful  visions 


6o  THE  REAL  MORMONISM 

and  divine  manifestations  are  related  by  his  associates,  it  is  alto- 
gether certain  that,  in  the  handling  of  the  body  of  the  Church,  in 
dealing  with  people  in  the  mass  —  and  too  many  of  them  were 
people  of  strong  personality  and  decided  character  —  he  could 
have  had  recourse  only  to  the  methods  and  powers  of  a  real 
leader  of  men.  The  following  incident  is  related  by  George  Q. 
Cannon,  and  certainly  bears  out  the  very  qualities  which  one 
would  logically  expect  to  find  manifested  by  a  real  leader,  not 
to  mention  a  man  who  had  some  quality  closely  akin  to  confidence 
in  a  Power  greater  than  himself. 

"An  incident  of  this  period  shows  that  Prophet's  calmness  and  self- 
command  in  the  face  of  danger,  as  well  as  the  influence  of  his  presence 
even  upon  sworn  enemies. 

"  He  was  sitting  in  his  father's  house  near  the  edge  of  the  prairie  one 
day,  writing  letters,  when  a  large  party  of  armed  mobocrats  called  at  the 
place.  Lucy  Smith,  the  Prophet's  mother,  demanded  their  business,  and 
they  replied  that  they  were  on  the  way  to  kill  'Joseph,  the  Mormon 
Prophet.'  His  mother  remonstrated  with  them;  and  Joseph,  having  fin- 
ished his  writing  and  hearing  the  threats  against  himself,  walked  to  the 
door  and  stood  before  them  with  folded  arms,  bared  head  and  such  a  look 
of  majesty  in  his  eyes  that  they  quailed  before  him.  Though  they  were 
unacquainted  with  his  identity,  they  knew  they  were  in  the  presence  of 
greatness ;  and  when  his  mother  introduced  him  as  the  man  they  sought, 
they  started  as  if  they  had  seen  a  spectre. 

"  The  Prophet  invited  the  leaders  into  the  house,  and  without  alluding 
to  their  purpose  of  murder,  he  talked  to  them  earnestly  with  regard  to  the 
persecutions  against  the  Saints.  When  he  concluded,  so  deeply  had  they 
been  impressed,  that  they  insisted  upon  giving*  him  an  escort  to  protect 
him  to  his  home.  .  .  . 

"  It  was  always  so  when  men  would  listen  to  Joseph  long  enough  to  let 
the  Spirit  which  animated  him  assert  itself  to  their  reason." — Life  of 
Joseph  Smith  the  Prophet,  pp.  249-250. 

A  similarly  striking  incident  is  related  by  Parley  P.  Pratt, 
who  states  that  it  occurred  on  an  occasion  when  he  was  confined, 
together  with  Smith,  in  a  jail  at  Richmond,  Missouri.  Here 
they  were  confined  during  several  days  and  nights,  awaiting  their 
execution  under  the  orders  of  a  certain  Colonel  Clark,  in  com- 
mand of  the  state  militia. 

"  In  one  of  those  tedious  nights,"  Pratt  relates,  "  we  had  lain  as  if  in 
sleep,  till  the  hour  of  midnight  had  passed,  and  our  ears  and  hearts  had 
been  pained,  while  we  had  listened  for  hours  to  the  obscene  jests,  the  hor- 
rid oaths,  the  dreadful  blasphemies  and  filthy  language  of  our  guards, 
Colonel  Price  at  their  head,  as  they  recounted  to  each  other  their  deeds 
of  rapine,  murder,  robbery,  etc.,  which  they  had  committed  among  the 
*  Mormons '  while  at  Far  West  and  vicinity.  ... 

"  I  had  listened  till  I  became  so  disgusted,  shocked,  horrified,  and  so 
filled  with  the  spirit  of  indignant  justice  that  I  could  scarcely  refrain  from 
rising  upon  my  feet  and  rebuking  the  guards;  but  had  said  nothing  to 
Joseph,  or  anyone  else,  although  I  lay  next  to  him  and  knew  he  was 
awake.  On  a  sudden  he  arose  to  his  feet,  and  spoke  in  a  voice  of  thunder, 
or  as  the  roaring  lion,  uttering,  as  near  as  I  can  recollect,  the  following 
words : 


PROPHET,  SEER  AND  REVELATOR  6i 

" '  Silence !  Ye  fiends  of  the  infernal  pit !  In  the  name  of  Jesus 
Christ  I  rebuke  you,  and  command  you  to  be  still.  I  will  not  live  an- 
other minute  and  hear  such  language.  Cease  such  talk,  or  you  or  I  die 
this  instant ! ' 

"  He  ceased  to  speak.  He  stood  erect  in  terrible  majesty.  Chained, 
and  without  a  weapon;  calm,  unruffled,  and  dignified  as  an  angel,  he 
looked  upon  the  quailing  guards,  whose  weapons  were  lowered  or  dropped 
to  the  ground;  whose  knees  smote  together,  and  who,  shrinking  into  a 
corner,  or  crouching  at  his  feet,  begged  his  pardon,  and  remained  quiet 
till  a  change  of  guards. 

"I  have  seen  the  ministers  of  justices,  clothed  in  magisterial  robes, 
and  criminals  arraigned  before  them,  while  life  was  suspended  on  a 
breath,  in  the  Courts  of  England ;  I  have  witnessed  a  Congress  in  solemn 
session  to  give  laws  to  nations ;  I  have  tried  to  conceive  of  kings,  of  royal 
courts,  of  thrones  and  crowns ;  and  of  emperors  assembled  to  ciecide  the 
fate  of  kingdoms;  but  dignity  and  majesty  have  I  seen  but  once,  and  it 
stood  in  chains,  at  midnight,  in  a  dungeon,  in  an  obscure  village  of  Mis- 
souri."—  Autobiography  of  Parley  P.  Pratt,  pp.  228-230. 

Of  course,  as  may  be  justly  objected,  both  of  these  heroic  in- 
cidents are  related  by  devoted  disciples  of  Smith  and  earnest 
adherents  to  his  teachings;  hence  may  be  somewhat  colored  by 
the  enthusiasm  of  their  narrators.  Although,  however,  neither 
of  them  is  justly  to  be  called  improbable,  nor  discounted  as  alto- 
gether exceptional,  to  say  the  least,  we  are  less  concerned  at 
present  in  inquiring  into  their  actuality  than  in  presenting  ex- 
cellent examples  of  the  nearly  mystical  regard  in  which  the 
Prophet  was  held  by  his  fellows  and  disciples.  That  he  was  a 
man  of  wonderful  forqe,  dignity  and  ability  cannot  be  denied,  in 
view  of  the  influence  which  he  wielded. 

Nor  is  it  surprising  to  find  in  the  writings  of  Smith's  dis- 
ciples and  others  accounts  of  his  exercise  of  "  miraculous  "  pow- 
ers, as  in  the  heahng  of  the  sick,  after  the  manner  of  the  apostles 
of  old.  In  narrations  of  some  of  his  earlier  doings  we  find, 
also,  examples  of  casting  out  evil  spirits,  to  whose  activities  he 
seems  to  have  attributed  certain  orders  of  affection,  in  true  New 
Testament  consistency.  If,  as  seems  well  attested,  he  possessed 
and  exercised  any  power  whatever  to  effect  the  cure  of  disease, 
it  is  unnecessary  to  inquire  into  the  theories  or  opinions  which 
he  may  have  held  regarding  their  nature  and  origin,  nor  to  open 
discussion  with  people  who  would  be  inclined  to  regard  "  de- 
moniacal possession  "  in  all  its  phases  as  a  "  discredited  super- 
stition." Scientifically,  as  we  may  assert,  this  matter  is  an  open 
one,  as  exampled  in  the  findings  of  such  psychological  authori- 
ties as  Professor  William  James,  and  others.  In  regard  to 
Smith's  reputed  power  to  heal  disease,  we  have  the  following 
striking  testimony  from  the  writings  of  Wilford  Woodruff: 

"  It  was  a  very  sickly  time  (when  the  refugees  from  Missouri  first  ar- 
rived at  Commerce,  on  the  site  of  the  future  city  of  Nauvoo)  and  Joseph 
had  given  up  his  home  in  Commerce  to  the  sick,  and  had  a  tent  pitched 


62  THE  REAL  MORMONISM 

in  his  dooryard  and  was  living  in  that  himself.  The  large  number  of 
Saints  who  had  been  driven  out  of  Missouri,  were  flocking  into  Com- 
merce; but  had  no  homes  to  go  into,  and  were  living  in  wagons,  in  tents, 
and  on  the  ground.  Many,  therefore,  were  sick  through  the  exposure 
they  were  subjected  to.  Brother  Joseph  had  waited  on  the  sick,  until  he 
was  worn  out  and  nearly  sick  himself. 

"On  the  morning  of  the  22d  of  July,  1839,  he  arose  reflecting  upon 
the  situation  of  the  Saints  of  God  in  their  persecutions  and  afflictions, 
and  he  called  upon  the  Lord  in  prayer,  and  the  power  of  God  rested  upon 
him  mightily,  and  as  Jesus  healed  all  the  sick  around  Him  in  His  day,  so 
Joseph,  the  Prophet  of  God,  healed  all  around  on  this  occasion.  He 
healed  all  in  his  house  and  dooryard,  then,  in  company  with  Sidney  Rig- 
don  and  several  of  the  Twelve,  he  went  through  among  the  sick  lying 
on  the  bank  of  the  river,  and  he  commanded  them  in  a  loud  voice,  in  the 
name  of  Jesus  Christ,  to  come  up  and  be  made  whole,  and  they  were 
all  healed.  ...  As  they  were  passing  my  door.  Brother  Joseph  said: 
*  Brother  Woodruff,  follow  me.'  These  were  the  only  words  spoken  by 
any  of  the  company  .  .  .  till  we  crossed  the  public  square,  and  entered 
Brother  Fordham's  house.  Brother  Fordham  had  been  dying  for  an 
hour,  and  we  expected  each  minute  would  be  his  last. 

"  I  felt  the  power  of  God  that  was  overwhelming  His  Prophet 

"When  we  entered  the  house,  Brother  Joseph  walked  up  to  Brother 
Fordham,  and  took  him  by  the  right  hand ;  in  his  left  hand  he  held  his  hat. 

"He  saw  that  Brother  Fordham's  eyes  were  glazed,  and  that  he  was 
speechless  and  unconscious. 

"  After  taking  hold  of  his  hand,  he  looked  down  into  the  dying  man's 
face  and  said :  '  Brother  Fordham,  do  you  not  know  me  ? '  At  first  he 
made  no  reply ;  but  we  could  all  see  the  effect  of  the  Spirit  of  God  rest- 
ing upon  him. 

"He  again  said:    'Elijah,  do  you  not  know  me?* 

"  With  a  low  whisper.  Brother  Fordham  answered,  *  Yes.' 

"  The  Prophet  then  said,  '  Have  you  not  faith  to  be  healed  ?  * 

"  The  answer,  which  was  a  little  plainer  than  before,  was :  *  I  am 
afraid  it  is  too  late.  If  you  had  come  sooner,  I  think  it  might  have 
been.' 

"He  had  the  appearance  of  a  man  awaking  from  sleep.  It  was  the 
sleep  of  death. 

"  Joseph  then  said :    *  Do  you  not  believe  that  Jesus  is  the  Christ  ?  ' 

"  *  I  do.  Brother  Joseph,'  was  the  response. 

"Then  the  Prophet  of  God  spoke  with  a  loud  voice,  as  in  the  majesty 
of  the  Godhead:  'Elijah,  I  command  you,  in  the  name  of  Jesus  of 
Nazareth,  to  arise  and  be  made  whole ! ' 

"  The  words  of  the  Prophet  were  not  like  the  words  of  man,  but  like 
the  voice  of  God.  It  seemed  to  me  that  the  house  shook  from  its  founda- 
tion. 

"  Elijah  Fordham  leaped  from  his  bed  like  a  man  raised  from  the  dead. 
A  healthy  color  came  to  his  face,  and  life  was  manifest  in  every  act. 

"  The  unbeliever  may  ask :  *  Was  there  not  deception  in  this  ?  ' 
"If  there  is  any  deception  in  the  mind  of  the  unbeliever,  there  was 
certainly  none  with  Elijah  Fordham,  the  dying  man,  nor  with  those  who 
were  present  with  him,  for  in  a  few  minutes  more  he  would  have  been 
in  the  spirit  world,  had  he  not  been  rescued." — ^Leaves  from  My  Journal, 
fpp.  62-64. 

Another  example  of  Smith's  reported  power  to  heal  disease, 


I 


PROPHET,  SEER  AND  REVELATOR  63 


through  the  gift  and  power  of  God,"  is  related  in  connection 
with  the  conversion  of  Ezra  Booth,  at  one  time  a  Methodist  min- 
ister, later  a  Mormon  elder,  and  finally  an  apostate  from  Mor- 
monism.  The  occasion  of  his  defection,  as  related  by  Joseph 
Smith,  lay  in  the  fact  that  he  was  "  disappointed "  when  he 
found  that  he  was  not  granted  the  "  power  to  smite  men  and 
make  them  believe"  (See  History  of  the  Church,  Vol.  I.  pp 
215-216),  a  very  clear  evidence  of  the  fact  that  he  was  thor- 
oughly convinced  of  the  reality  of  miraculous  powers  at  the 
present  day.  The  following  account  of  the  miracle  which  led 
to  the  conversion  of  Booth  is  given  in  a  publication  of  the  Camp- 
bellite  denomination: 

"  Ezra  Booth,  of  Mantua,  a  Methodist  preacher  of  much  more  than  or- 
dinary culture,  and  with  strong  natural  abilities,  in  company  with  his 
wife,  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Johnson,  and  some  other  citizens  of  this  place 
(Hiram),  visited  Smith  at  his  home  in  Kirtland,  in  1831.  Mrs.  Johnson 
had  been  afflicted  for  some  time  with  a  lame  arm,  and  was  not  at  the 
time  of  the  visit  able  to  lift  her  hand  to  her  head.  The  party  visited 
Smith  partly  out  of  curiosity,  and  partly  to  see  for  themselves  what  there 
might  be  in  the  new  doctrine.  During  the  interview,  the  conversation 
turned  on  the  subject  of  supernatural  gifts,  such  as  were  conferred  in 
the  days  of  the  apostles.  Someone  said,  'Here  is  Mrs.  Johnson  with  a 
lame  arm;  has  God  given  any  power  to  men  now  on  the  earth  to  cure 
her?'  A  few  moments  later,  when  the  conversation  had  turned  in  an- 
other direction,  Smith  rose,  and  walking  across  the  room,  taking  Mrs. 
Johnson  by  the  hand,  said  in  the  most  solemn  and  impressive  manner: 
'  Woman,  in  the  name  of  the  Lord  Jesus  Christ,  I  command  thee  to  be 
whole,'  and  immediately  left  the  room. 

"  The  company  were  awe-stricken  at  the  infinite  presumption  of  the 
man,  and  the  calm  assurance  with  which  he  spoke.  The  sudden  mental 
and  moral  shock  —  I  know  not  how  better  to  explain  the  well-attested 
fact  —  electrified  the  rheumatic  arm  —  Mrs.  Johnson  at  once  lifted  it  up 
with  ease,  and  on  her  return  home  the  next  day  she  was  able  to  do  her 
washing  without  difficulty  or  pain." — Hayden,  History  of  the  Disciples, 
pp.  250-251. 

Whether,  or  not,  we  can  agree  with  the  writer  of  this  account 
that  a  "  sudden  mental  and  moral  shock "  of  this  description 
could  avail  to  "  electrify  the  rheumatic  arm,"  it  must  be  admitted 
that  Smith  possessed  some  power  capable  of  exciting  the  rever- 
ence of  his  adherents  and  bringing  conviction  to  the  minds  of 
people  who  had  come  to  visit  him  **  partly  out  of  curiosity." 

It  is  interesting,  however,  to  learn  that  this  man,  who  could 
thus  impress  so  many  people  with  a  firm  belief  in  his  profes- 
sions as  a  direct  agent  of  the  Almighty,  and  who  evidently  be- 
lieved every  word  of  his  own  message  implicitly,  was  also  by 
no  means  a  pompous  and  gloomy  "  superman,"  out  of  touch 
with  the  world  of  mankind,  and  demanding  an  exaggerated  rever- 
ence for  his  person  and  opinions.  Although  a  highly  successful 
leader  and  administrator,  he  seems  to  have  been  a  curiously 


64  THE  REAL  MORMONISM 

genial  and  approachable  person,  one,  also,  possessed  of  a  redeem- 
ing sense  of  humor  that  must  have  added  greatly  to  his  influ- 
ence among  the  more  intelligent  people  with  whom  he  had  to  do. 
A  notable  instance  of  this  is  recorded  by  Josiah  Quincy,  who, 
among  other  anecdotes  of  the  Prophet,  related  the  substance  of 
a  running  conversation  on  religious  topics  between  him  and  a 
certain  Methodist  minister,  who  was  one  of  the  party.  The 
latter  gentleman,  although  freely  invited  to  address  the  Mor- 
mon congregation  on  the  following  Sunday,  seems  to  have  con- 
sidered it  incumbent  on  him  to  controvert  all  of  the  Prophet's 
opinions.     Thus,  from  Quincy: 

"As  we  rode  back,  there  was  more  dispute  between  the  minister  and 
Smith.  *  Come/  said  the  latter,  suddenly  slapping  his  antagonist  on  the 
knee,  to  emphasize  the  production  of  a  triumphant  text,  *if  you  can't 
argue  better  than  that,  you  shall  say  all  you  want  to  say  to  my  people, 
and  I  will  promise  to  hold  my  tongue,  for  there's  not  a  Mormon  among 
them  who  would  need  my  assistance  to  answer  you/  Some  backthrust 
was  evidently  required  to  pay  for  this ;  and  the  minister,  soon  after,  hav- 
ing occasion  to  allude  to  some  erroneous  doctrine  which  I  forget,  sud- 
denly exclaimed,  'Why,  I  told  my  congregation  the  other  Sunday  that 
they  might  as  well  believe  Joe  Smith  as  such  theology  as  that.'  *  Did 
you  say  Joe  Smith  in  a  sermon?'  inquired  the  person  to  whom  the 
title  haclbeen  applied.  'Of  course  I  did.  Why  not?'  The  Prophet's 
reply  was  given  with  a  quiet  superiority  that  was  overwhelm- 
ing :  *  Considering  only  the  day  and  the  place,  it  would  have  been  more 
respectful  to  have  said  Lieutenant-General  Joseph  Smith,'  Clearly  the 
worthy  minister  was  no  match  for  the  head  of  the  Mormon  Church." — 
Figures  of  the  Past,  p.  393. 

Although  by  no  means  converted  to  the  doctrines  preached  by 
Smith,  Mr.  Quincy  seems  to  have  derived  a  most  favorable  im- 
pression of  his  personality  and  influence.  Some  of  his  en- 
comiums have  already  been  quoted,  and  to  these  he  adds  the 
following : 

"A  fine-looking  man  is  what  the  passer-by  would  instinctively  have 
murmured  upon  meeting  the  remarkable  individual  who  had  fashioned 
the  mould  which  was  to  shape  the  feelings  of  so  many  thousands  of  his 
fellow-mortals.  But  Smith  was  more  than  this,  and  one  could  not  re- 
sist the  impression  that  capacity  and  resource  were  natural  to  his  stalwart 
person.  I  have  already  mentioned  the  resemblance  he  bore  to  Elisha  R. 
Potter,  of  Rhode  Island,  whom  I  met  in  Washington  in  1826.  ...  Of  all 
men  I  have  met,  these  two  seemed  best  endowed  with  that  kingly  faculty 
which  directs,  as  by  intrinsic  right,  the  feeble  or  confused  souls  who  are 
looking  for  guidance.  This  it  is  just  to  say  with  emphasis;  for  the 
reader  will  find  so  much  that  is  puerile  and  even  shocking  in  my  report 
of  the  prophet's  conversation  that  he  might  never  suspect  the  impression 
of  rugged  power  that  was  given  by  the  man." —  Ibid.,  pp.  381-382. 

It  is  greatly  to  the  credit  of  a  man  of  Mr.  Quincy's  instincts 
and  training  that  he  should  have  derived  so  favorable  and  in- 
telligent an  opinion  of  Joseph  Smith,  in  spite  of  the  things  which 


I 


PROPHET,  SEER  AND  REVELATOR  65 

he  characterizes  as  "  puerile  and  even  shocking."  We  must  take 
account  of  the  *'  personal  equation,"  even  with  Josiah  Quincy. 
Nor  is  it  strictly  just  to  judge  of  the  significance  of  a  man's 
work  and  life  to  the  world  of  humanity  on  the  basis  of  the  per- 
sonal traits  that  repel  certain  of  his  acquaintances.  Consider- 
ing the  temperament  and  early  environments  of  Joseph  Smith,  it 
is  scarcely  remarkable  that  he  displayed  many  traits,  and  said 
many  things  that  must  have  seemed  "  uncouth "  to  a  "  Brah- 
min" of  New  England;  but,  as  one  might  object,  etiquette  and 
table  manners  are  not  essentials  in  the  curricula  of  any  of  the 
"  schools  of  the  prophets."  This  very  element,  mentioned  by 
Quincy,  is  a  factor  in  the  grant  aggregate  of  surprises  that  enter 
into  the  career  and  character  of  Smith.  This  man,  who,  on  his 
first  appearance  before  this  scholar  from  Massachusetts,  was 
"  clad  in  the  costume  of  a  journeyman  carpenter  when  about  his 
work,"  and  who  showed  "  a  beard  of  some  three  days*  growth," 
was  not  only  a  leader  of  men,  but,  if  we  really  would  estimate 
him  justly,  a  great  mystic.  He  stands  for  nothing  more  vividly 
and  emphatically  than  the  belief  that,  in  the  true  Christian  life, 
both  the  Church,  and  each  Individual  member  of  it,  are  to  be 
guided  by  the  direct  revealed  will  of  God.  And  his  particular 
revelations,  as  they  are  believed  to  be,  embodied  in  the  Book  of 
Doctrine  and  Covenants,  show  precisely,  with  a  few  notable  ex- 
ceptions, homely  and  familiar  counsels  on  everyday  matters,  ad- 
dressed to  various  **  servants  "  of  God,  by  God  Himself.  There 
are,  to  be  sure,  lofty  flights,  particularly  in  sections  dealing  with 
the  blessedness  of  the  future  life  (See  Ixxvi.  and  Ixxxviii.), 
many  sayings  and  directions  that  are  both  wise  and  profound, 
but,  in  the  majority  of  passages,  God  is  represented  as  speaking 
to  his  "  servants "  precisely  "  as  a  man  speaketh  unto  his 
friend."  Nor  is  the  Almighty  represented  as  using  "  university 
English,"  elegant  diction,  "  polished  literary  forms  " :  He  comes 
down,  indeed,  literally  to  the  level  of  the  persons  whom  He  is 
represented  as  addressing.  Yet,  without  desire  to  prejudice  the 
reader's  mind,  we  must  insist  that  the  question  of  the  validity  of 
'*  possibility  "  of  the  authority  claimed  for  these  directions  and 
instructions  lies  primarily  with  the  basic  theory  of  the  religious 
system  that  embodies  them,  rather  than  with  any  judgment  on 
the  matter  of  "  appropriateness  "  or  textual  form.  If  God  be 
assumed  to  address  men  thus  individually,  it  may  be  honestly 
asked,  how  otherwise  could  we  expect  Him  to  do  it,  except  in  the 
form  of  admonitions  and  commendations  on  their  daily  walk? 
If,  in  addition.  He  has  seen  fit  to  employ  as  **  mouth "  a  man 
uninstructed  in  literary  refinements,  could  we  reasonably  expect 


(£  THE  REAL  MORMONISM 

that  He  would  employ  terms  and  phrases  that  must  necessarily 
puzzle  him,  as  well  as  many  to  whom  they  are  addressed  ?  "  Lit- 
erary form  "  is  not  always  a  "  form  of  godliness." 

Whatever  may  be  the  true  and  final  answer  to  all  such  queries, 
the  fact  remains  that,  with  the  assistance  of  such  professed  reve- 
lations as  are  printed  in  this  book,  Joseph  Smith  succeeded  in 
inspiring  the  allegiance  and  devoted  enthusiasm  of  thousands  of 
his  personal  disciples,  and  that  they  still  so  inspire  thousands  more, 
who  have  lived  since  his  day.  It  was  in  the  sincere  belief,  un- 
doubtedly, that  God  speaks  now,  in  such  forms  as  these,  that,  as 
we  have  learned,  the  heroic  Patten,  with  his  dying  breath,  whis- 
pered, "  Oh,  do  not  deny  the  faith."  All  such  facts  really  ag- 
gravate the  riddle  of  Joseph  Smith,  as  is  recognized  by  truly 
candid  critics.  Thus,  we  may  quote  again  from  Quincy,  al- 
though, perhaps,  not  wholly  with  agreement  in  his  conclusions. 
He  remarks,  with  rather  doubtful  accuracy: 

"  I  have  quoted  enough  to  show  what  really  good  material  Smith  man- 
aged to  draw  into  his  net.  Were  such  fish  to  be  caught  with  Spaulding's 
tedious  romance  and  a  puerile  fable  of  undecipherable  gold  plates  and 
gigantic  spectacles?  Not  these  cheap  and  wretched  properties,  but  some 
mastering  force  of  the  man  who  handled  them,  inspired  the  devoted  mis- 
sionaries who  worked  such  wonders." —  Ihid.,  pp.  395-396. 

We  cannot  insist  too  often  that,  as  the  history  of  Mormonism 
amply  demonstrates,  it  was  precisely  "  these  cheap  and  wretched 
properties,"  as  Mr.  Quincy  styles  them,  that  appealed  most 
strongly  to  the  imaginations  of  his  foremost  converts,  and  that 
do  still  so  appeal.  Further,  whatever  may  have  been  the  *'  mas- 
tering force  of  the  man,"  it  was  evidently  combined  with  a  con- 
sistent faith  in  his  own  professions,  even  the  "  gigantic  spec- 
tacles." As  was  most  truthfully  said  of  him  by  a  writer  in 
Chamber^  Cyclopedia  (Article  on  "Mormons"),  "a  mere 
impostor  —  i.e.  a  person  who  did  not,  in  some  sense  or  other, 
partly  believe  in  his  own  mission,  but  who,  on  the  contrary,  felt 
that  he  was  the  liar  and  cheat  that  people  called  him  —  would 
have  broken  down  under  such  a  tempest  of  opposition  and  hate 
as  Smith's  preaching  excited."  Instead  of  breaking  down  under 
the  furious  assaults  made  upon  him  and  his  teachings.  Smith 
seems  really,  like  the  ancient  apostles,  to  have  emerged  from  each 
successive  trial  "  rejoicing  that  [he  was]  counted  worthy  to 
suffer  shame"  (Acts  v.  41).  It  would  be  difficult  indeed  to 
obliterate  the  influence  of  such  a  man. 

In  another  particular,  also,  the  influence  of  Joseph  Smith 
manifested  great  and  admirable  traits.  He  was  a  preeminent 
leader  of  men,  but  also  a  leader  of  individuals,  an  example  of  the 
power  of  personal  influence;  even  as  he  represented  the  Divine 
Being  as  acting,  so  he  evidently  considered  that  he  himself 


PROPHET,  SEER  AND  REVELATOR 


67 


should  act.  Thus,  in  the  numerous  cases  of  apostacy  that  oc- 
curred in  his  Hfetime,  the  prevaiUng  sentiment  seems  to  have 
been  a  personal  antagonism  to  Smith  himself.  Thus,  were  Sid- 
ney Rigdon  and  David  Whitmer,  who,  while  adhering  to  their 
previous  testimonies  as  to  the  truth  of  the  Mormon  gospel,  were 
disaffected  with  Smith  personally.  Furthermore,  Smith  seems  to 
have  entertained  for  the  time  being,  at  least,  sore  feelings  to- 
ward several  of  these  persons,  particularly  against  Harris  and 
Cowdery.  Small  wonder!  They  had  been  his  friends  and  con- 
fidants, but  now  they  had  turned  against  him.  Some  of  them, 
also,  had  denounced  him  as  a  "  fallen  prophet,"  although  fully 
endorsing  his  early  work,  as  in  the  translation  of  the  Book  of 
Mormon.  When,  however,  any  of  these  apostates  expressed  a 
desire  to  return  to  fellowship,  the  Prophet,  himself,  was  the  first 
to  extend  a  welcome.  Such  a  spirit  was  manifested  by  him 
in  the  cases  of  Orson  Hyde  and  William  W.  Phelps,  who  had 
withdrawn  from  the  Church  during  the  trying  times  in  Missouri. 
To  Phelps  he  wrote  a  cordial  letter.  Some  time  after,  as  re- 
lated, he  wrote  to  Oliver  Cowdery,  who  had  withdrawn  under 
charges  of  misconduct  about  the  same  time  as  Phelps.  As 
Roberts  states: 

"  In  a  sudden  burst  of  kindness  he  said  to  his  secretary : 
"Write  Oliver  Cowdery,  and  ask  him  if  he  has  not  eaten  husks  long 
enough;  if  he  is  not  almost  ready  to  return,  be  clothed  with  robes  of 
righteousness,  and  go  up  to  Jerusalem.  Orson  Hyde  hath  need  of  him. 
"A  letter  was  written  accordingly,  but  the  Prophet's  generous  tender 
of  forgiveness  and  fellowship  called  forth  no  response  from  Oliver 
Cowdery,  once  the  second  Elder  of  the  Church,  and  the  first  to  make  pub- 
lic proclamation  of  the  Gospel  to  the  world.  Subsequently,  however,  he 
did  return,  namely  in  1848." —  Rise  and  Fall  of  Nauvoo,  p.  70. 


CHAPTER  VI 

JOSEPH  SMITH  AS  LAWGIVER  AND  EXECUTIVE 

In  the  work  of  building  up  the  city  of  Nauvoo,  on  the  site  of 
the  little  village  of  Commerce,  Smith  had  the  fullest  opportu- 
nity to  manifest  his  ideas  upon  governmental  and  civic  matters. 
With  virtually  the  entire  body  of  the  Church  collected  in  one 
place,  he  exercised  his  genius  for  organization  in  inaugurating 
a  community  and  a  government  that  were  excellent,  in  many 
obvious  particulars,  as  they  were  novel  and  original.  In  the 
work  of  organizing  the  city,  it  was  necessary,  first-place,  to 
secure  a  charter  from  the  state  legislature;  and  such  an  instru- 
ment was  drawn  up,  accordingly,  under  Smith's  direction ;  giving 
the  city  council  exceptionally  wide  powers  —  virtually  in  inde- 
pendence, within  the  limitations  of  the  constitutions,  of  the  state 
of  Illinois  and  of  the  United  States.  It  authorized,  also,  the 
enlistment  and  equipment  of  a  military  organization,  which  was 
subsequently  known  as  the  "  Nauvoo  Legion,"  and  the  building 
of  a  university.    As  Smith  stated  in  his  journal : 

"The  City  Charter  of  Nauvoo  is  of  my  own  plan  and  device.  I 
concocted  it  for  the  salvation  of  the  Church,  and  on  principles  so  broad, 
that  every  honest  man  might  dwell  secure  under  its  protective  influence 
without  distinction  of  sect  or  party." — History  of  the  Church,  Vol.  IV., 
p.  249. 

The  charge  has  frequently  been  made  that  the  charter  of 
Nauvoo  virtually  erected  the  city  into  an  independent  state,  so 
far,  at  least,  as  an  act  of  legislature  could  avail  to  accomplish 
such  a  result.  This  is  supposed  by  critics  of  Mormonism  to  in- 
dicate the  essentially  "  seditious "  character  of  the  procedure, 
and  some  have  suggested  —  so  far,  at  least,  as  any  one  dares  to 
make  such  a  suggestion  in  the  face  of  historic  facts  that  are 
liable  to  be  unearthed  by  investigators  —  that  the  charter  was 
passed  by  the  state  legislature  under  some  kind  of  unlawful 
pressure,  or  in  an  irregular  manner.  In  view  of  these  miserable 
lies,  so  widely  circulated  by  disingenuous  and  slovenly  critics,  it 
must  be  a  surprise  to  the  reading  public  to  learn  that  the  first 
charter  of  the  city  of  Nauvoo  was  passed  by  unanimous  vote  of 
both  houses  of  the  state  legislature  in  regular  session,  early  in 

68 


LAWGIVER  AND  EXECUTIVE  69 

December,  1840;  was  signed  by  Governor  Thomas  Carlin  on  the 
|l6th  of  that  month,  and  was  witnessed  by  Stephen  A.  Douglas, 
as  Secretary  of  State,  two  days  later.  It  will  be  further  inter- 
esting to  learn  that  Abraham  Lincoln,  then  a  member  of  the 
lower  house,  voted  for  the  charter,  and  even  congratulated  the 
i'Mormon  agent,  John  C.  Bennett,  on  its  successful  passage.  We 
^may  understand,  therefore,  the  calibre  of  some  of  the  men  who 

helped  perpetrate  this  enormity,"  also,  how  "high  up"  the  al- 
l:leged  "  corrupting  influence "  must  have  reached.  An  account 
►f  the  passage  of  this  measure  and  of  the  conditions  leading  up 
[to  it  has  been  given  by  Thomas  Ford,  later  Governor  of  the  state, 
[if,  as  he  claims,  the  considerations  involved  were  wholly  politi- 
fcal,  it  would  seem  that  no  "extraordinary  pressure"  had  been 
jxercised,  except  by  the  regular  party  leaders,  who  may  be  as- 
isumed  to  have  been  moved  solely  by  ambition.  Mr.  Ford  writes, 
fas  follows: 

"In  the  State  of  Missouri,  the  Mormons  had  always  supported  the 
Democratic  party.  They  had  been  driven  out  by  a  Democratic  governor 
of  a  Democratic  State;  and  when  they  appealed  to  Mr.  Van  Buren,  the 
Democratic  President  of  the  United  States,  for  relief  against  the  Mis- 
sourians,  he  refused  to  recommend  it,  for  want  of  constitutional  power  in 
the  United  States  to  coerce  a  sovereign  State  in  the  execution  of  its 
domestic  polity.  This  soured  and  embittered  the  Mormons  against  the 
Democrats.  Mr.  Clay,  as  a  member  of  the  United  States  Senate,  and 
John  T.  Stuart,  a  member  of  the  House  of  Representatives  in  Congress, 
from  Illinois,  both  Whigs,  understood  their  cause,  and  introduced  and 
countenanced  their  memorials  against  Missouri;  so  that,  when  the  Mor- 
mons came  to  this  State,  they  attached  themselves  to  the  Whig  party. 
In  August,  1840,  they  voted  unanimously  for  the  Whig  candidates  for  the 
Senate  and  Assembly.  In  the  November  following,  they  voted  for  the 
Whig  candidate  for  President;  and  in  August,  1841,  they  voted  for 
John  J.  Stuart,  the  Whig  candidate  for  Congress  in  their  district. 

"At  the  legislature  of  1840-41  it  became  a  matter  of  great  interest, 
with  both  parties,  to  conciliate  these  people.  They  were  already  numer- 
ous, and  were  fast  increasing  by  emigration  from  all  parts.  It  was  evi- 
dent that  they  were  to  possess  much  power  in  elections.  They  had  al- 
ready signified  their  intention  of  joining  neither  party,  further  than  they 
could  be  supported  by  that  party,  but  to  vote  for  such  persons  as  had  done 
or  were  willing  to  do  them  most  service.  And  the  leaders  of  both 
parties  believed  that  the  Mormons  would  soon  hold  the  balance  of  power, 
and  exerted  themselves  on  both  sides,  by  professions,  and  kindness  and 
devotion  to  their  interests,  to  win  their  support. 

"  In  this  state  of  the  case  Dr.  John  C.  Bennett  presented  himself  at  the 
seat  of  government  as  the  agent  of  the  Mormons.  This  Bennett  was 
probably  the  greatest  scamp  in  the  western  country.  I  have  made  par- 
ticular enquiries  concerning  him,  and  have  traced  him  in  several  places  in 
which  he  had  lived  before  he  had  joined  the  Mormons  in  Ohio,  Indiana 
and  Illinois,  and  he  was  everywhere  accounted  the  same  debauched,  un- 
principled and  profligate  character.  .  .  .  He  flattered  both  sides  with  the 
hope  of  Mormon  favor;  and  both  sides  expected  to  receive  their  votes. 
A  city  charter  drawn  up  to  suit  the  Mormons  was  presented  to  the  Senate 
by  Mr.  Little.    It  was  referred  to  the  judiciary  committee,  of  which  Mr, 


70  THE  REAL  MORMONISM 

Snyder,  a  Democrat,  was  chairman,  who  reported  it  back  recommending 
its  passage.  The  vote  was  taken,  the  ayes  and  noes  were  not  called  for, 
no  one  opposed  it,  but  all  were  busy  and  active  in  hurrying  it  through. 
In  like  manner  it  passed  the  House  of  Representatives,  where  it  was  never 
read  except  by  its  title;  the  ayes  and  noes  were  not  called  for,  and  the 
same  universal  zeal  in  its  favor  was  manifested  here  which  had  been  so 
conspicuously  displayed  in  the  Senate. 

"  This  city  charter  and  other  charters  passed  in  the  same  way  by  this 
legislature,  incorporated  Nauvoo,  provided  for  the  election  of  a  Mayor, 
four  Aldermen,  and  nine  Counsellors;  gave  them  power  to  pass  all  or- 
dinances necessary  for  the  peace,  benefit,  good  order,  regulation,  con- 
venience, or  cleanliness  of  the  city,  and  for  the  protection  of  property 
from  fire,  which  were  not  repugnant  to  the  Constitution  of  the  United 
States,  or  this  State.  This  seemed  to  give  them  power  to  pass  ordi- 
nances in  violation  of  the  laws  of  the  State,  and  to  erect  a  system  of  gov- 
ernment for  themselves.  This  charter  also  established  a  mayor's  court 
with  exclusive  jurisdiction  of  all  cases  arising  under  the  city  ordinances, 
subject  to  an  appeal  to  the  municipal  court.  It  established  a  municipal 
court  to  be  composed  of  the  mayor  as  chief  justice,  and  the  four  al- 
dermen as  his  associates;  which  court  was  to  have  jurisdiction  of  appeals 
from  the  mayor  or  aldermen,  subject  to  an  appeal  again  to  the  circuit 
court  of  the  county.  The  municipal  court  was  also  clothed  with  power  to 
issue  writs  of  habeas  corpus  in  all  cases  arising  under  the  ordinances  of 
the  city. 

"This  charter  also  incorporated  the  militia  of  Nauvoo  into  a  military 
legion,  to  be  called  the  *  Nauvoo  Legion.'  It  was  made  entirely  inde- 
pendent of  the  military  organization  of  the  State,  and  not  subject  to  the 
command  of  any  officer  of  the  State  militia,  except  the  Governor  him- 
self, as  commander-in-chief.  .  .  . 

"  Thus  it  was  proposed  to  reestablish  for  the  Mormons  a  government 
within  a  government,  a  legislature  with  power  to  pass  ordinances  at  war 
with  the  laws  of  the  State;  courts  to  execute  them,  with  but  little  de- 
pendence upon  the  constitutional  judiciary;  and  a  military  force  at  their 
own  command,  to  be  governed  by  its  own  by-laws  and  ordinances,  and 
subject  to  no  State  authority  but  that  of  the  Governor.  It  must  be  ac- 
knowledged that  these  charters  were  unheard-of,  and  anti-republican  in 
many  particulars;  and  capable  of  infinite  abuse  by  a  people  disposed  to 
abuse  them.  .  .  .  One  would  have  thought  that  these  charters  stood  a 
poor  chance  of  passing  the  legislature  of  a  republican  people  jealous  of 
their  liberties.  Nevertheless  they  did  pass  unanimously  through  both 
houses.  Messrs.  Little  and  Douglas  managed  with  great  dexterity  with 
their  respective  parties.  Each  party  was  afraid  to  object  to  them  for 
fear  of  losing  the  Mormon  vote,  and  each  believed  that  it  had  secured 
their  favor." — History  of  Illinois,  pp.  262-265. 

In  view  of  the  widely  repeated  charge  that  the  Nauvoo  charter 
had  for  its  primary  object  some  seditious  "  resistance  of  organ- 
ized authority  "  on  the  part  of  Smith  and  the  Mormons,  several 
reflections  logically  occur  at  this  point.  In  the  first  place,  it  is 
scarcely  remarkable  that  a  lot  of  people,  who  had  been  so  out- 
rageously treated  in  both  Ohio  and  Missouri,  should  wish  to 
obtain  some  kind  of  exceptional  powers  that  should  secure  them 
the  ordinary  rights  of  human  beings,  so  generously  guaranteed 
in  the  constitutions  of  all  the  states  of  the  union  and  of  the 
United  States.     If,  however,  wittingly,  or  not,  such  people  sought 


i 


LAWGIVER  AND  EXECUTIVE  71 


for  and  obtained  powers  "  capable  of  infinite  abuse  by  a  people 
disposed  to  abuse  them,"  as  Ford  states,  such  fact  need  not  be 
wholly  blamed  to  the  Mormons  or  to  Joseph  Smith,  who  "  con- 
cocted "  the  charter.  The  question  naturally  arises  as  to  whether 
"  republican  people  jealous  of  their  liberties  "  need  not  dread  the 
activities  of  legislatures  who  will  grant  such  plenary  powers, 
quite  as  badly  as  the  persons  who  ask  for  them.  Whatever  may 
have  been  Smith's  motives  in  "  concocting "  such  a  charter  as 
this,  they  could  scarcely  be  more  incompatible  with  the  **  safety 
of  American  institutions,"  as  another  cant  phrase  has  it,  than 
the  kind  of  lawmakers  who  will  sell  their  votes  for  the  sake  of 
hoped-for  party  advantages.  The  fact  remains,  however,  that 
there  is  no  distinct  evidence  that  the  privileges  granted  in  the 
Nauvoo  charter  were  abused  to  any  conspicuous  degree;  also, 
that  the  popular  uprisings  against  the  Mormons  in  Illinois  were 
no  more  in  protest  against  this  kind  of  "  favoritism  "  than  were 
the  perfectly  similar  disorders  in  both  Ohio  and  Missouri. 

In  order  that  the  motives  of  Smith  in  the  founding  of  Nauvoo 
may  be  thoroughly  understood,  it  is  necessary  to  refer  to  orig- 
inal documents  and  the  testimony  of  contemporary  history. 
These  will  furnish  a  very  fair  line  of  evidence  that  an  orderly 
and  stable  community  was  in  contemplation,  instead  of  any  of  the 
numerous  deadly,  not  to  say  "  preposterous,"  objects  as  supposed 
by  various  critics.  Under  date.  May  24,  1841,  the  following 
proclamation  was  issued  to  all  the  Saints  in  the  stakes  outside  of 
Nauvoo,  at  Kirtland,  Ohio,  and  at  Independence,  Missouri  (the 
"  centre-stake  "of  Zion)  : 

"The  First  Presidency  of  the  Church  of  Jesus  Christ  of  Latter-day 
Saints,  anxious  to  promote  the  prosperity  of  said  Church,  feel  it  their 
duty  to  call  upon  the  Saints  who  reside  out  of  this  county  [Hancock],  to 
make  preparations  to  come  in  without  delay.  This  is  important,  and 
should  be  attended  to  by  all  who  feel  an  interest  in  the  prosperity  of  this 
corner-stone  of  Zion.  Here  the  Temple  must  be  raised,  the  University 
built,  and  other  edifices  erected  which  are  necessary  for  the  great  work 
of  the  last  days,  and  which  can  only  be  done  by  a  concentration  of  energy 
and  enterprise.  Let  it,  therefore,  be  understood  that  all  the  stakes, 
excepting  those  in  this  county,  and  in  Lee  County,  Iowa,  are  discon- 
tinued, and  the  Saints  instructed  to  settle  in  this  county  as  soon  as  cir- 
cumstances will  permit." — History  of  the  Church,  Vol.  IV.,  p.  362. 

Commenting  on  this  announcement  and  invitation,  Orson  F. 
Whitney  writes  as  follows: 

"  To  this  call  the  Saints  responded  with  alacrity,  and  came  pouring  in 
from  all  parts  outside  the  two  counties  mentioned,  to  engage  in  the  work 
of  building  up  and  beautifying  'the  corner  stone  of  Zion.' 

"  To  the  followers  of  the  Prophet,  as  well  as  to  the  Prophet  himself, 
this  was  all  that  the  call  really  meant.  Temple-building,  with  the  Saints, 
we  need  scarcely  inform  the  reader,  amounts  to  what  might  be  termed  a 
divine  passion;  a  work  done  by  Time  for  Eternity.  ...  No  work  in 


72  THE  REAL  MORMONISM 

their  estimation  is  so  important, —  not  even  their  proselyting  labors 
among  the  nations.  Next  to  their  religious  mission  of  preaching,  prose- 
lyting, and  administering  in  their  temples  for  the  salvation  of  the  living 
and  the  dead,  is  their  penchant  for  founding  institutions  of  learning. 
This  fact  Mormon  history  abundantly  verifies,  in  spite  of  all  that  has 
been  said  and  thought  to  the  contrary.  This  explains  in  part  that  ready 
obedience, —  wrongfully  supposed  to  be  a  mere  servile  yielding  to  the  dic- 
tum of  a  despot, —  manifested  by  the  Saints  to  the  word  and  will  of  their 
leader.  He  was  simply  inviting  them  to  engage  in  the  work  most  con- 
genial to  their  souls;  and  this,  as  we  have  said,  was  all  that  the  call 
really  meant. 

"  But  to  the  politicians  it  meant  more, —  or  rather,  meant  something 
entirely  different.  It  was  construed  by  them  as  a  shrewd  political 
maneuver,  foreshadowing  the  ultimate  domination  of  Hancock  County 
by  the  Mormons,  and  the  relegation  to  the  rear,  as  a  hopeless  minority, 
of  the  combined  forces  of  Whigs,  Democrats  and  whatever  else,  in  spite 
of  all  that  could  be  done  to  hinder.  It  was  believed,  in  short,  to  be  a 
*  colonizing'  scheme,  a  trick  to  increase  and  render  supreme  the  local 
Mormon  vote.  Already  jealous  of  the  power  wielded  by  the  Saints  at 
the  polls,  and  professing  to  'view  with  alarm'  the  prospective  increase 
of  that  power  by  means  of  the  proposed  concentration,  some  of  the  poli- 
ticians now  set  about  organizing  in  Hancock  County  a  new  party,  the 
avowed  object  of  which  was  to  oppose  and  counteract  the  political  in- 
fluence of  the  Mormons  in  county  and  in  state." —  History  of  Utah,  Vol. 
I.,  pp.  187-188. 

The  accuracy  of  this  view^  is  borne  out  by  reference  to  a  dis- 
course delivered  by  Joseph  Smith  on  June  11,  1843.  (See  His- 
tory of  the  Church,  Vol.  V.,  p.  423).  That  he  and  his  associates 
were  primarily  far  more  interested  in  founding  a  city  that  should 
be  a  "  city  of  the  Saints  "  in  fact,  as  well  as  in  name,  seems  to  be 
indicated  by  the  several  ordinances  early  passed  by  the  Council 
looking  toward  the  maintainance  of  order,  sound  morals  and 
human  rights.  Nor  were  such  ordinances  merely  verbal  declara- 
tions, as  is  amply  evidenced  by  the  testimonies  of  non-Mormon 
writers.  Thus,  in  his  discussion  of  the  chartering  and  early  his- 
tory of  the  city.  Ford  relates : 

"  The  common  council  passed  many  ordinances  for  the  punishment  of 
crime.  The  punishments  were  generally  different  from,  and  vastly  more 
severe,  than  the  punishments  provided  by  the  laws  of  the  State." —  His- 
tory of  Illinois,  p.  266. 

Some  such  tendency  as  this  is  shown  in  a  debate  of  the  Council 

held  on  March  4,  1843,  which  is  reported  thus: 

"  In  debate,  George  A.  Smith  said  imprisonment  was  better  than  hang- 
ing. 

"  I  (Joseph  Smith)  replied,  I  was  opposed  to  hanging,  even  if  a  man 
kill  another,  I  will  shoot  him,  or  cut  off  his  head,  spill  his  blood  on  the 
ground,  and  let  the  smoke  thereof  ascend  up  to  God ;  and  if  ever  I  have 
the  privilege  of  making  a  law  on  this  subject,  I  will  have  it  so." — History 
of  the  Church,  Vol  V.,  p.  296. 
This  statement  was  evidently  made  in  harmony  with  the  Old 

Testament  dictum,  "  By  man  shall  his  blood  be  shed  "  (Gen.  ix. 


LAWGIVER  AND  EXECUTIVE  73 

6),  the  "blood  atonement/*  so  called,  which  will  be  discussed  at 
another  place.  Similarly  severe  in  point  of  penalties  prescribed 
was  the  ordinance  presented  by  Smith,  Nov.  13,  1841,  entitled 
"  Concerning  Vagrants  and  Disorderly  Persons."  In  this  act  it 
is  prescribed  that  all  vagrants,  all  drunk  or  disorderly  persons, 
those  guilty  of  using  profane  or  indecent  language,  etc.,  shall 
"  be  required  to  enter  into  security  for  good  behavior  for  a  rea- 
sonable time,"  or,  in  default  of  such  security,  to  suifer  imprison- 
ment for  not  more  than  six  months,  or  to  be  fined  five  hundred 
dollars,  or  both,  at  the  discretion  of  the  court.  Such  provision 
was  undoubtedly  intended  to  discourage  the  very  kind  of  dis- 
orders that  had  so  sorely  assailed  the  people  in  every  other 
locality.  Nevertheless,  as  seems  evident,  it  contemplated  no 
abridgement  of  popular  rights  of  assemblage:  it  could  under  no 
circumstances  be  construed  into  a  "  veiled  attempt "  to  curtail 
individual  freedom  of  conscience.  This  is  true,  because,  as  spe- 
cifically enacted,  on  March  i,  1841 : 

"  Catholics,    Presbyterians,    Methodists,    Baptists,   Latter-day    Saints, 
Quakers,  Episcopals,  Universalists,  Unitarians,  Mohammedans,  and  all 
other  religious  sects  and  denominations  whatever,  shall  have  free  tolera- 
tion, and  equal  privileges,  in  this  city;  and  should  any  person  be  guilty 
of  ridiculing,  and  abusing  or  otherwise  depreciating  another  in  conse- 
quence of  his  religion,  or  of  disturbing  or  interrupting  any  religious  meet- 
ing within  the  limits  of  this  city,  he  shall,  on  conviction  thereof  before 
the  Mayor  or  Municipal  Court,  be  considered  a  disturber  of  the  public 
peace,  and  fined  in  any  sum  exceeding  five  hundred  dollars,  or  imprisoned 
not  exceeding  six  months,  or  both,  at  the  discretion  of  said  Mayor  or 
Comt"— History  of  the  Church,  Vol  IV.,  p.  306. 
In  addition,  any  municipal  officer  was  required  to  report  any 
violation  of  this  ordinance  to  the  Mayor,  and  any  officer  was 
authorized  to  arrest  all  violators,  "  either  with  or  without  proc- 
ess."   Of  course,  as  may  be  claimed,  this  ordinance  was  prob- 
ably framed  with  a  vivid  recollection  of  the  wanton  interrup- 
tions of   Mormon  meetings   in   Missouri,  but  it  must  not  be 
forgotten  that  it  proscribes  all  interruptions   of  any  kind  of 
religious  gathering,  and  protects  "all  other  religious  sects  and 
denominations  whatever"  with  equal  penalties.     Nor  has  any 
case  of  unlawful,  or  unworthy,  discrimination  in  this  matter  ever 
been  brought  to  the  attention  of  the  public  by  any  of  the  enemies 
of  Smith  and  Mormonism,  nor  was  such  discrimination  alleged 
by  the  mobbers  who  harried  and  finally  effected  the  migration 
of  the  people  of  Nauvoo. 

That  the  above,  and  all  similar  ordinances,  passed  by  the  City 
Council  of  Nauvoo,  were  honestly  and  deliberately  framed  for 
the  purpose  of  maintaining  order,  decency  and  the  free  exercise 
of  individual  rights,  there  can  be  no  doubt  in  any  candid  mind. 
Furthermore,  under  the  leadership  of  the  Prophet  himself,  the 


74  THE  REAL  MORMONISM 

City  Ordinances  struck  direct  at  the  root  of  crime  and  disorder 
by  passing  the  first  effective  temperance  ordinance  in  the  history 
of  America.  With  an  instinct  which,  in  any  other  person,  would 
be  called  truly  "  statesmanlike,"  Smith  evidently  understood  that 
absolute  prohibition  of  the  sale  of  intoxicating  liquors  would  be 
an  abortive  measure,  as,  indeed,  it  has  proved,  sadly  enough, 
wherever  attempted;  and,  therefore,  sought  to  reduce  the  liquor 
evil  to  its  lowest  terms  by  an  ordinance  forbidding  the  sale  of 
alcoholic  drinks  in  small  quantities.  This  measure  put  a  stop 
to  "  tippling,"  which  is  the  principal  evil  to  be  combatted,  as  in- 
telligent reformers  will  agree.  To  limit  the  sales  of  alcoholic 
drinks  to  large  quantity  lots  should,  as  reflection  will  show,  prove 
a  very  effective  discouragement  to  overindulgence.  Few  per- 
sons having  a  taste  for  whisky  would  care  to  purchase  it  by  the 
gallon,  or  not  at  all;  also,  the  worst  form  of  whisky  drinking  is 
not  that  which  is  done  at  home.  The  following  is  the  Ordinance 
passed  at  the  instance  of  Smith,  on  February  15,  1841 : 

"  AN  ORDINANCE  IN  RELATION  TO  TEMPERANCE 
"  Sec.  I.  Be  it  ordained  by  the  City  Council  of  the  City  of  Nauvoo, 
that  all  persons  and  establishments  whatever,  in  this  city,  are  prohibited 
from  vending  whisky  in  a  less  quantity  than  a  gallon,  or  other  spirituous 
liquors  in  a  less  quantity  than  a  quart,  to  any  person  whatever,  ex- 
cepting on  the  recommendation  of  a  physician,  duly  accredited  in 
writing,  by  the  Chancellor  and  Regents  of  the  University  of  the  City 
of  Nauvoo ;  and  any  person  guilty  of  any  act  contrary  to  the  prohibition 
contained  in  this  ordinance,  shall,  on  conviction  thereof  before  the  Mayor 
or  municipal  court,  be  fined  in  any  sum  not  exceeding  twenty-five  dol- 
lars, at  the  discretion  of  said  Mayor  or  municipal  court ;  and  any  person 
or  persons  who  shall  attempt  to  evade  this  ordinance  by  giving  away 
liquor,  or  by  any  other  means,  shall  be  considered  alike  amenable,  and 
fined  as  aforesaid." — History  of  the  Church,  Vol.  IV.,  p.  299. 

That  this  ordinance  was  considered  an  effective  means  of  curb- 
ing the  evils  of  intemperance  is  evident,  since  no  licensing  pro- 
vision is  recorded.  Indeed,  under  date  July  12,  1841,  Smith 
records  as  follows: 

"  I  was  in  the  City  Council,  and  moved  that  any  person  in  the  City  of 
Nauvoo  be  at  liberty  to  sell  vinous  liquors  in  any  quantity,  subject  to  the 
city  ordinances." —  History  of  the  Church,  Vol.  IV.,  p.  383. 

Previously,  on  April  6,  1841,  he  records,  in  connection  with 
the  account  of  the  laying  of  the  corner-stones,  of  the  Temple,  at 
which  great  crowds  of  people  were  present : 

"What  added  greatly  to  the  happiness  we  experienced  on  this  inter- 
esting occasion,  is  the  fiact  that  we  heard  no  obscene  or  profane  lan- 
guage; neither  saw  we  any  one  intoxicated.  Can  the  same  be  said  of  a 
similar  assemblage  in  any  other  city  in  the  Union  ?  Thank  God  that  the 
intoxicating  beverage,  the  bane  of  humanity  in  these  last  days,  is  becom- 
ing a  stranger  in  Nauvoo." — History  of  the  Church,  Vol.  IV.,  pp.  330-331- 

Of  course,  as  may  be  remarked,  "obscene  or  profane  Ian- 


I 


LAWGIVER  AND  EXECUTIVE  75 


guage  "  and  intoxication  are  not  usually  expected  in  persons  who 
gather  to  a  religious  service,  but  it  must  not  be  forgotten  that 
the  experience  of  the  Mormons  had  been  otherwise.  If  these 
testimonies  are  to  be  accepted,  they  seem  competent  to  prove 
that  the  "  exceptional  powers "  granted  to  the  City  Council  of 
Nauvoo  had  not  been  misplaced,  but  were  being  used  to  the  ad- 
vantage of  order  and  decency,  in  a  manner  impossible,  except  by 
special  local  legislation.  It  is  interesting  to  note,  that,  although 
the  State  Legislature  afterward  "  reconsidered,"  and  greatly 
modified  the  charter  of  Nauvoo,  that  the  principle  involved,  local 
autonomy  within  a  wide  range  of  power,  was  not  abandoned, 
even  in  Illinois;  being  embodied  in  the  Charter  of  the  great  city 
of  Chicago,  where  local  self-government,  in  such  matters,  at 
least,  as  "  option  "  as  to  the  sale  of  intoxicants,  extends  even  to 
the  wards  of  the  Municipality.  The  result,  in  recent  years,  has 
been  that  prohibition  of  the  liquor  traffic  has  been  established  in 
most  parts  of  that  city,  a  result  impossible,  for  example,  in  New 
York,  where  the  local  government  is  often  hampered  by  "  up- 
state legislators,"  as  frequently  complained.  In  some  points 
Joseph  Smith  seems  to  have  had  a  firm  grasp  on  the  principles 
necessary  to  conserve  popular  liberties,  and  render  government 
effective. 

That  Smith  was  intensely  alive  to  the  requirements  of  good 
government  and  social  order,  particularly  in  matters  touching 
personal  morals,  seems  to  be  indicated  by  the  following  entry  in 
his  journal,  under  date  May  14,  1842 : 

"I  attended  city  council  in  the  morning,  and  advocated  strongly  the 
necessity  of  some  active  measures  being  taken  to  suppress  houses  and 
acts  of  infamy  in  the  city;  for  the  protection  of  the  innocent  and  vir- 
tuous, and  the  good  of  public  morals;  showing  clearly  that  there  were 
certain  characters  in  the  place,  who  were  disposed  to  corrupt  the  morals 
and  chastity  of  our  citizens,  and  that  houses  of  infamy  did  exist,  upon 
which  a  city  ordinance  concerning  brothels  and  disorderly  characters 
was  passed,  to  prohibit  such  things.    It  was  published  in  this  day's  Wasp. 

^  "  I  also  spoke  at  length  for  the  repeal  of  the  ordinance  of  the  city 
licensing  merchants,  hawkers,  taverns  and  ordinaries,  desiring  that  this 
might  be  a  free  people,  and  enjoy  equal  rights  and  privileges,  and  the 

ordinances  were  repealed." —  History  of  the  Church,  Vol.  V.,  p.  8. 

From  very  many  points  of  view  it  is  to  be  deeply  regretted 
that,  at  the  time  of  their  expulsion  from  Missouri,  the  Mormons 
did  not  strike  westward  at  once,  and,  in  some  unsettled  region, 
build  up  their  own  social  and  governmental  institutions,  under 
the  direction  of  Joseph  Smith  himself.  The  world  might  then 
have  had  the  opportunity  of  correctly  estimating  this  man  and 
his  influence,  apart  from  the  disgusting  necessity  of  constantly 
reviewing  the  false  accusations  made  by  wicked  and  prejudiced 
assailants,  and  describing  the  doings  of  scoundrelism  masquerad- 


7(>  THE  REAL  MORMONISM 

ing  under  the  disguise  of  public  virtue,  with  the  leadership  of 
alleged  righteous  men.  Had  he  then  attempted  to  carry  out  the 
design  attributed  to  him  by  various  persons  of  becoming  "a 
second  Mohammed,"  making  "  one  gore  of  blood  from  the  Rocky 
Mountains  to  the  Atlantic  ocean,"  and  giving  the  alternatives  for 
peace,  "Joseph  Smith  or  the  Sword,"  there  would  have  been 
ample  opportunity  and  sufficient  warrant  for  dealing  with  him 
by  the  proper  use  of  the  accredited  guardians  of  peace  and  law, 
without  enlisting  drunken  and  disorderly  mobs  in  the  militia 
forces  of  any  state,  or  in  the  service  of  the  general  government. 
It  would  have  been  interesting,  indeed,  to  have  been  able  to 
record  precisely  how  far  his  surprising  design  of  welding  gov- 
ernment and  religion  —  deriving  the  powers  of  government 
direct  from  the  presumed  authority  of  God  —  could  have  been 
successful  and  operative.  Had  he  failed  utterly,  it  would  have 
been  unnecessary  to  heap  further  reproaches  upon  his  head :  had 
he  succeeded  wonderfully,  the  alternative  would  have  been  no 
such  slogan  as  "Joseph  Smith  or  the  Sword."  Despite,  then, 
the  wonderful  and  highly  creditable  achievements  of  men  in- 
spired by  his  teachings,  who  years  after  his  death  wrought  nobly 
and  well  in  the  deserts  of  Utah,  the  world  has  lost  something  in 
the  fact  that  Smith  himself,  like  a  modern  Moses,  was  not  per- 
mitted to  enter  into  even  that  "  land  of  promise."  The  follow- 
ing seems  to  set  forth  Smith's  ideals  and  purposes,  and,  if  not 
written  by  himself,  was  certainly  from  the  pen  of  Sidney  Rig- 
don,  or  some  other  man  close  to  him.  In  his  journal,  under  date 
July  15,  1842,  he  records  this: 

"  I  find  an  editorial,  in  the  Times  and  Seasons,  on  the  government  of 
God  as  follows:  — 

''The  Government  of  God. 

"The  government  of  the  Almighty  has  always  been  very  dissimilar  to 
the  governments  of  men,  whether  we  refer  to  His  religious  government, 
or  to  the  government  of  nations.  The  government  of  God  has  always 
tended  to  promote  peace,  unity,  harmony,  strength,  and  happiness ;  while 
that  of  man  has  been  productive  of  confusion,  disorder,  weakness,  and 
misery. 

"  The  greatest  acts  of  the  mighty  men  have  been  to  depopulate  nations 
and  to  overthrow  kingdoms ;  and  whilst  they  have  exalted  themselves  and 
become  glorious,  it  has  been  at  the  expense  of  the  lives  of  the  innocent, 
the  blood  of  the  oppressed,  the  moans  of  the  widow,  and  the  tears  of  the 
orphan. 

"Egypt,  Babylon,  Greece,  Persia,  Carthage,  Rome, —  each  was  raised 
to  dignity  amidst  the  clash  of  arms  and  the  din  of  war ;  and  whilst  their 
triumphant  leaders  led  forth  their  victorious  armies  to  glory  and  victory, 
their  ears  were  saluted  with  the  groans  of  the  dying  and  the  misery  and 
distress  of  the  human  family ;  before  them  the  earth  was  a  paradise,  and 
behind  them  a  desolate  wilderness ;  their  kingdoms  were  founded  in 
carnage  and  bloodshed,  and  sustained  by  oppression,  tyranny,  and 
despotism.    The  designs  of  God,  on  the  oljier  hand,  have  been  to  pro- 


I 


LAWGIVER  AND  EXECUTIVE  'j'j 


mote  the  universal  good  of  the  universal  world ;  to  establish  peace  and 
good  will  among  men;  to  promote  the  principles  of  eternal  truth;  to 
bring  about  a  state  of  things  that  shall  unite  man  to  his  fellow  man; 
cause  the  world  to  'beat  their  swords  into  plowshares,  and  their  spears 
into  pruning  hooks/  make  the  nations  of  the  earth  dwell  in  peace,  and 
to  bring  about  the  millennial  glory,  when  'the  earth  shall  yield  its  in- 
crease, resume  its  paradisean  glory,  and  become  as  the  garden  of  the 
Lord.' 

"  The  great  and  wise  of  ancient  days  have  failed  in  all  their  attempts 
to  promote  eternal  power,  peace  and  happiness.  Their  nations  have 
crumbled  to  pieces ;  their  thrones  have  been  cast  down  in  their  turn,  and 
their  cities,  and  their  mightiest  works  of  art  have  been  annihilated ;  or 
their  dilapidated  towers,  of  time-worn  monuments  have  left  us  but  feeble 
traces  of  their  former  magnificence  and  ancient  grandeur.  They  pro- 
claim as  with  a  voice  of  thunder,  those  imperishable  truths  —  that  man's 
strength  is  weakness,  his  wisdom  is  folly,  his  glory  is  his  shame. 

"  Monarchical,  aristocratical,  and  republican  governments  of  their  vari- 
ous kinds  and  grades,  have,  in  their  turn,  been  raised  to  dignity,  and 
prostrated  in  the  dust.  The  plans  of  the  greatest  politicians,  the  wisest 
senators,  and  the  most  profound  statesmen  have  been  exploded ;  and  the 
proceedings  of  the  greatest  chieftains,  the  bravest  generals,  and  the  wisest 
kings  have  fallen  to  the  ground.  Nation  has  succeeded  nation,  and  we 
have  inherited  nothing  but  their  folly.  ^  History  records  their  puerile 
plans,  their  short-lived  glory,  their  feeble  intellect  and  their  ignoble  deeds. 

"  Have  we  increased  in  knowledge  or  intelligence  ?  Where  is  there  a 
man  that  can  step  forth  and  alter  the  destiny  of  nations  and  promote  the 
happiness  of  the  world?  Or  where  is  there  a  kingdom  or  nation  that 
can  promote  the  universal  happiness  of  its  own  subjects,  or  even  their 
general  well  being?  Our  nation,  which  possesses  greater  resources  than 
any  other,  is  rent,  from  centre  to  circumference,  with  party  strife,  po- 
litical intrigues,  and  sectional  interest;  our  counselors  are  panic  stricken, 
our  legislators  are  astonished,  and  our  senators  are  confounded,  our  mer- 
chants are  paralyzed,  our  tradesmen  are  disheartened,  our  mechanics  out 
of  employ,  our  farmers  distressed,  and  our  poor  crying  for  bread,  our 
banks  are  broken,  our  credit  ruined,  and  our  states  overwhelmed  in  debt, 
yet  we  are,  and  have  been  in  peace.  .  .  . 

"  It  has  been  the  design  of  Jehovah,  from  the  commencement  of  the 
world,  and  is  His  purpose  now,  to  regulate  the  affairs  of  the  world  in 
his  own  time,  to  stand  as  a  head  of  the  universe,  and  take  the  reins  of 
government  in  His  own  hand.  When  that  is  done,  judgment  will  be  ad- 
ministered in  righteousness;  anarchy  and  confusion  will  be  destroyed, 
and  *  nations  will  learn  war  no  more.'  It  is  for  want  of  this  great  gov- 
erning principle,  that  all  this  confusion  has  existed ;  '  for  it  is  not  in  man 
that  walketh,  to  direct  his  steps ' ;  this  we  have  fully  shown. 

"If  there  was  anything  great  or  good  in  the  world,  it  came  from  God. 
The  construction  of  the  first  vessel  was  given  to  Noah,  by  revelation. 
The  design  of  the  ark  (of  the  Covenant)  was  given  by  God,  'a  pattern 
of  heavenly  things.'  The  learning  of  the  Egyptians,  and  their  knowledge 
of  astronomy  was  no  doubt  taught  them  by  Abraham  and  Joseph,  as  their 
records  testify,  who  received  it  from  the  Lord.  .  .  .  Wisdom  to  govern 
the  house  of  Israel  was  given  to  Solomon,  and  to  the  judges  of  Israel; 
and  if  he  had  always  been  their  king,  and  they  subject  to  his  mandate, 
and  obedient  to  his  laws,  they  would  still  have  been  a  great  and  mighty 
people  —  the  rulers  of  the  universe,  and  the  wonder  of  the  world. 

"This  is  the  only  thing  that  can  bring  about  the  'restitution  of  all 


78  THE  REAL  MORMONISM 

things  spoken  of  by  all  the  holy  Prophets  since  the  world  was — 
'the  dispensation  of  the  fullness  of  times,  when  God  shall  gather 
together  all  things  in  one.'  Other  attempts  to  promote  universal 
peace  and  happiness  in  the  human  family  have  proved  abortive; 
every  effort  has  failed ;  every  plan  and  design  has  fallen  to  the  ground ; 
it  needs  the  wisdom  of  God,  the  intelligence  of  God,  and  the  power  of 
God  to  accomplish  this.  .  .  . 

"  In  regard  to  the  building  up  of  Zion,  it  has  to  be  done  by  the  coun- 
sel of  Jehovah,  by  the  revelations  of  heaven ;  and  we  should  feel  to  say, 

*  if  the  Lord  go  not  with  us,  carry  us  not  up  hence.'  We  would  say  to 
the  Saints  that  come  here,  we  have  laid  the  foundation  for  the  gathering 
of  God's  people  to  this  place,  and  they  expect  that  when  the  Saints  do 
come,  they  will  be  under  the  counsel  that  God  has  appointed.  .  .  .  We  are 
trying  here  to  gird  up  our  loins,  and  purge  from  our  midst  the  workers 
of  iniquity;  and  we  hope  that  when  our  brethren  arrive  from  abroad, 
they  will  assist  us  to  roll  forth  this  good  work,  and  to  accomplish  this 
great  design,  that  *  Zion  may  be  built  up  in  righteousness ;  and  all  nations 
flock  to  her  standard ' ;  that  as  God's  people,  under  His  direction,  and 
obedient  to  His  law,  we  may  grow  up  in  righteousness  and  truth;  that 
when  His  purposes  shall  be  accomplished,  we  may  receive  an  inheritance 
among  those  that  are  sanctified." — History  of  the  Church,  Vol.  V.,  pp. 
61-66. 

Very  similar  ideas  were  expressed  in  a  discourse  delivered  by 
Sidney  Rigdon  at  the  General  Conference  of  the  Church  in 
April,  1844.     He  says  in  part: 

"  I  will  endeavor  to  show  why  salvation  belongs  to  us  more  peculiarly, 
in  contradistinction  to  all  other  bodies.     Will  this  be  clear  enough? 

"  I  discover  one  thing :  Mankind  have  labored  under  one  universal 
mistake  about  this  —  viz.,  salvation  was  distinct  from  government ;  i.  e., 
that  I  can  build  a  Church  without  government,  and  that  thing  have  power 
to  save  me ! 

"  When  God  sets  up  a  system  of  salvation.  He  sets  up  a  system  of  gov- 
ernment that  shall  rule  over  temporal  and  spiritual  affairs. 

"  Every  man  is  a  government  of  himself,  and  infringes  upon  no  gov- 
ernment. A  man  is  not  an  honorable  man,  if  he  is  not  above  all  law 
and  above  government. 

"  I  see  in  our  town  we  have  need  of  government.  Some  study  law  only 
for  the  purpose  of  seeing  how  many  feuds,  how  many  broils  they  can 
kick  up,  how  much  they  can  disturb  the  peace  of  the  public  without 
breaking  the  law,  and  then  say  — '  I  know  my  rights,  and  will  have  them ' ; 

*  I  did  not  know  it  was  the  marshal,  or  I  would  not  have  done  it.' 

"  He  is  no  gentleman.  Gentlemen  would  not  insult  a  poor  man  in  the 
jstreet,  but  would  bow  to  him,  as  much  as  those  who  appear  more  re- 
spectable. No  marshal  or  any  one  else,  should  pull  me  up.  We  ought 
to  live  a  great  way  within  the  circle  of  the  laws  of  the  land.  I  would 
live  far  abK)ve  all  law. 

"  The  law  of  God  is  far  more  righteous  than  the  laws  of  the  land.  The 
kingdom  of  God  does  not  interfere  with  the  laws  of  the  land,  but  keeps 
itself  by  its  own  laws." — Ibid.,  Vol.  VI.,  p.  292. 

Although  such  expressions  used  by  Smith  and  his  coadjutors 
have  often  been  quoted  as  evidence  of  "  seditious  intent,"  and 
the  claiming  of  powers  and  authority  in  defiance  of  the  civil  law 
—  even  to  its  subversion  —  it  is  quite  evident  that  they  mean  no 


I 


LAWGIVER  AND  EXECUTIVE  79 


more  than  that  the  law  of  God  is  the  real  source  of  all  authority, 
and  that  any  one  who  is  animated  by  a  desire  to  live  and  act  in 
accord  with  its  principles  is  "  above  the  law,"  while,  at  the  same 
time,  "  not  against  the  law."  Similar  teachings  have  been  often 
propounded  throughout  Christian  centuries,  particularly  on  the 
authority  of  St.  Paul,  and  have  never  been  seriously  misun- 
derstood. The  sole  difference  in  the  present  case  is  that  the 
persons  here  speaking  profess  the  belief  that  the  law  of  God 
finds  preeminent  statement  for  this  age  in  the  mouths  of  ac- 
credited prophets  and  apostles.  Such  passages  furnish  very  im- 
perfect grounds  for  charges  of  "  sedition  "  or  unlawful  defiance 
of  authority.  At  the  least,  there  is  no  known  statement  of 
Joseph  Smith,  which  distinctly  voices  the  sentiments  thus 
ascribed  to  him  by  hostile,  and,  too  often  also,  disingenuous, 
critics.  Nevertheless,  in  whatever  manner  such  people  may  dis- 
tort his  words,  and  refuse  to  give  credit  for  human  sentiments 
to  Smith  and  his  immediate  associates,  it  is  altogether  evident 
that  most  of  his  followers  —  those  also  engaged  in  work  in  be- 
half of  the  Church  —  held  opinions  very  different  from  these, 
also  quite  in  accord  with  what  we  have  stated  were  his  actual 
beliefs  and  ideals.  The  following,  from  the  EngUsh  organ  of 
Mormonism,  is  significant: 

"In  the  midst  of  the  general  distress  which  prevails  in  this  country 
[England]  on  account  of  want  of  employment,  the  high  price  of  pro- 
visions, the  oppression,  priestcraft,  and  inquity  of  the  land,  it  is  pleasing 
to  the  household  of  faith  to  contemplate  a  country  reserved  by  the  Al- 
mighty as  a  sure  asylum  for  the  poor  and  oppressed, —  a  country  every 
way  adapted  to  their  wants  and  conditions — ^and  still  more  pleasing  to 
think  that  thousands  of  the  Saints  have  already  made  their  escape  from 
this  country,  and  all  its  abuses  and  distress,  and  that  they  have  found  a 
home,  where,  by  persevering  industry,  they  may  enjoy  all  the  blessings  of 
liberty,  peace,  and  plenty. 

"It  is  not  yet  two  years  since  the  Saints  in  England,  in  obedience  to 
the  command  of  their  Heavenly  Father,  commenced  a  general  plan  of 
emigration  to  the  land  of  Zion. 

"  They  were  few  in  number,  generally  poor,  and  had  every  opposition 
to  encounter,  both  from  a  want  of  means  and  from  the  enemies  of  truth, 
who  circulated  every  falsehood  calculated  to  hinder  or  discourage  them. 
Newspapers  and  tracts  were  put  in  circulation,  sermons  and  public 
speeches  were  delivered  in  abundance,  to  warn  the  people  that  Nauvoo 
was  a  barren  waste  on  the  sea  shore  —  that  it  was  a  wild  and  unin- 
habited swamp  —  that  it  was  full  of  savages,  wild  beasts  and  serpents  — 
that  all  the  English  Saints  who  should  go  there  would  be  immediately 
sold  for  slaves  by  the  leaders  of  the  Church  —  that  there  was  nothing 
to  eat,  no  water,  and  no  way  possible  to  obtain  a  living;  that  all  who 
went  there  would  have  their  money  taken  from  them,  and  themselves 
imprisoned,  etc. 

"  But  notwithstanding  all  these  things,  thousands  have  emigrated  from 
this  country,  and  now  find  themselves  comfortably  situated,  and  in  the 
enjoyment  of  the  comforts  of  life,  and  in  the  midst  of  society  where 
God  is  worshipped  in  the  spirit  of  truth  and  union,  and  where  nearly  all 


8o  THE  REAL  MORMONISM 

are  agreed  in  religious  principles.  They  all  find  plenty  of  employment 
and  good  wages,  while  the  expense  of  living  is  about  one-eighth  of  what 
it  costs  in  this  country.  .  .  . 

"  Instead  of  a  lonely  swamp  or  dense  forest  filled  with  savages,  wild 
beasts,  and  serpents,  large  cities  and  villages  are  springing  up  in  their 
midst,  with  schools,  colleges,  and  temples.  The  mingled  noise  of  mechan- 
ism, the  bustle  of  trade,  the  song  of  devotion,  are  heard  in  the  distance, 
while  thousands  of  flocks  and  herds  are  seen  grazing  peacefully  on  the 
plains,  and  the  fields  and  gardens  smile  with  plenty,  and  the  wild  red  men 
of  the  forest  are  only  seen  as  they  come  on  a  friendly  visit  to  the  Saints, 
and  to  learn  the  way  of  the  Lord.  .  .  . 

"  Who  that  has  a  heart  to  feel,  or  a  soul  to  rejoice,  will  not  be  glad  at 
so  glorious  a  plan  of  deliverance  ?  Who  will  not  hail  the  messengers  of 
the  Latter-day  Saints  as  the  friends  of  humanity  —  the  benefactors  of 
mankind  ? 

"  *  Thousands  have  gone,  and  millions  more  must  go. 
The  Gentiles  as  a  stream  to  Zion  flow.' 

"  Yes;  friends,  this  glorious  work  has  but  just  commenced;  and  we  now 
call  upon  the  Saints  to  come  forward  with  united  effort,  with  persevering 
exertion,  and  with  union  of  a;ction,  and  help  yourselves  and  one  another 
to  emigrate  to  the  Land  of  Promise. 

"  In  this  way  we  shall  not  only  bring  about  the  deliverance  of  tens  of 
thousands  who  must  otherwise  suffer  in  this  country,  but  we  shall  add 
to  the  strength  of  Zion,  and  help  to  rear  her  cities  and  temples  — *  to  make 
her  wilderness  like  Eden,  and  her  desert  like  the  garden  of  the  Lord,' 
while  the  young  men  and  the  middle  aged  will  serve  to  increase  her 
legions  —  to  strengthen  her  bulwark  —  that  the  enemies  of  law  and  or- 
der who  have  sought  her  destruction,  may  stand  afar  off  and  tremble,  and 
her  banners  become  terrible  to  the  wicked. 

"  Ye  children  of  Zion,  once  more  we  say,  in  the  name  of  Israel's  God, 
arise,  break  off  your  shackles,  loose  yourselves  from  the  bands  of  your 
neck,  and  go  forth  to  inherit  the  earth,  and  to  build  up  the  waste  places 
of  many  generations.  .  .  . 

"  We  do  not  wish  to  confine  the  benefit  of  our  emigration  plan  to  the 
Saints,  but  are  willing  to  grant  all  industrious,  honest,  and  well-disposed 
persons  who  may  apply  to  us  the  same  information  and  assistance  as 
emigrants  to  the  western  states,  there  being  abundant  room  for  more  than 
a  hundred  millions  of  inhabitants." — Millennial  Star,  February,  1842. 

This  document,  which  reads  like  an  ultra-sanguine  invitation 
to  the  "  oppressed  of  every  nation  "  to  take  up  their  residence  in 
"  this  broad  country,"  and  enjoy  the  advantages  elsewhere  denied 
them,  embodies  merely  the  same  kind  of  golden  hopes  and  prom- 
ises that  have  attracted  to  our  shores  such  myriads  of  the  very 
class  of  people,  as  those  to  whom  it  is  addressed.  If  written  at 
the  present  day,  sadly  enough,  it  must  misrepresent  matters  in 
sundry  particulars.  It  was  more  nearly  true  seventy  years  ago, 
when  it  was  issued;  although,  even  then,  somewhat  colored  with 
the  high  hopes,  great  ambitions  and  lively  faith  of  the  Prophet's 
disciples  —  feelings  undoubtedly  shared  by  himself.  This  man 
and  his  followers,  in  fact,  actually  hoped  to  found  a  "  gathering- 
place  for  Israel,"  a  nucleus  of  God's  redeemed  people  on  earth. 


LAWGIVER  AND  EXECUTIVE  8i 


{fast,  they  hoped  to  provide  a  refuge  for  the  downtrodden;  and 
in  every  place  where  they  founded  a  settlement,  they  did  their 
best  to  realize  this  aim.  Of  this  there  can  be  no  doubt  whatever. 
In  another  aspect,  also,  this  appeal  is  notable.  It  was  made  by 
the  accredited  representatives  of  the  most  successful  agency  at 
work  in  our  midst  to-day  for  the  actual  welding-together  into  a 
type  almost  tribal  or  national  in  character  people  of  diverse 
origins  and  instincts,  transforming  them,  as  already  mentioned, 
into  a  "  peculiar  people  "  in  the  highest  acceptation  of  the  term. 
Some  such  agency  at  work  among  us  should  serve  a  wonderful 
use  in  bringing  our  armies  of  immigrants  to  conform  to  an 
**  American  type,"  instead  of  embarrassing  us,  as  at  present,  to 
provide  for  the  diverse  interests,  sentiments  and  habits  of  peo- 
ples, apparently  irreconcilably  antagonistic  to  each  other,  and  to 
the  mass  in  which  they  are  found.  If  Smith  and  his  associates 
went  to  this  length  "  to  make  money,"  as  some  stupid  critics  still 
allege,  may  we  have  more  such  "  money-makers "  among  us. 
They  are  the  kind  of  **  capitalists  "  very  sorely  needed  at  the 
present  time. 

Nevertheless,  in  spite  of  all  efforts,  and  in  spite  of  the  great 
faith  and  courage  of  the  actual  workers  in  the  "  upbuilding  of 
Zion,"  there  were  sore  embarrassments  encountered  in  the  work. 
Thus,  many  of  the  English  converts  who  gathered  at  Nauvoo 
were  greatly  distressed  for  lack  of  work,  which  matter  is  men- 
tioned by  the  Prophet  in  his  journal,  under  date  June  13,  1843, 
where  the  following  entry  occurs : 

"Attended  a  general  council  in  the  lodge  room  to  devise  ways  and 
means  to  furnish  the  poor  with  labor.  Many  of  the  English  Saints  have 
gathered  to  Nauvoo,  most  of  whom  are  unacquainted  with  any  kind  of 
labor,  except  spinning,  weaving,  etc.;  and  having  no  factories  in  this 
place,  they  are  troubled  to  know  what  to  do.  Those  who  have  funds 
have  more  generally  neglected  to  gather,  and  left  the  poor  to  build  up 
the  city  and  the  kingdom  of  God  in  these  last  days." — History  of  the 
Church,  Vol  V.,  p.  25. 

It  may  be  that  some  critics  will  find  it  possible  to  blame  Smith 
for  such  conditions,  precisely  as  they  blame  the  Mormons  of  the 
present  day,  for  representing  the  possibilities  and  advantages  of 
their  American  settlements  altogether  too  favorably  to  pros- 
pective immigrants.  We  must  not  forget,  however,  that  we  are 
considering  no  "  real  estate "  or  colonization  enterprises,  but, 
precisely,  an  order  which,  in  the  minds  of  its  directors  and  agents, 
has  been  founded  and  is  being  conducted  under  the  direct  com- 
mand of  the  Almighty.  Thus,  in  such  circumstances,  as  in  his 
explanation  of  the  Missouri  persecutions.  Smith  upbraids  the 
people  for  their  "  lack  of  faith  and  obedience,"  which,  as  he 


S2  THE  REAL  MORMONISM 

states,  are  the  real  occasions  for  the  withdrawal  of  divine  favor 
and  protection.  This  may  seem  a  severe  characterization  for 
people  who  endured  the  hardships  suffered  by  the  Mormons  in 
Missouri;  but  it  is  recorded  that  there  were  many  examples  of 
defection  among  them  —  notably  of  several  of  the  Apostles, 
Marsh,  Hdye,  et  al. —  and  that  Smith  himself  bore  the  brunt  of 
much  of  the  severest  trouble  suffered  by  his  people.  His  experi- 
ence seems  to  have  agreed  with  that  of  other  professed  advo- 
cates of  righteousness,  in  the  fact  that  he  found  human  nature  a 
"  refractory  material."  Thus,  four  days  previous  to  making  the 
entry  above  quoted  he  had  delivered  an  address  before  the  Female 
Relief  Society,  which  is  reported,  in  part,  as  follows: 

"  President  Joseph  Smith  opened  the  meeting  by  prayer,  and  then  ad- 
dressed the  congregation  on  the  design  of  the  institution.  .  .  . 

"  It  is  one  evidence  that  men  are  unacquainted  with  the  principles  of 
godliness  to  behold  the  contraction  of  affectionate  feelings  and  lack  of 
charity  in  the  world.  The  power  and  glory  of  godliness  is  spread  out 
on  a  broad  principle  to  throw  out  the  mantle  of  charity.  God  does  not 
look  on  sin  with  allowance,  but  when  men  have  sinned,  there  must  be  al- 
lowance made  for  them. 

"All  the  religious  world  is  boasting  of  righteousness:  it  is  the  doc- 
trine of  the  devil  to  retard  the  human  mind,  and  hinder  our  progress,  by 
filling  us  with  self-righteousness.  The  nearer  we  get  to  our  heavenly 
Father,  the  more  we  are  disposed  to  look  with  compassion  on  perishing 
souls;  we  feel  that  we  want  to  take  them  upon  our  shoulders,  and  cast 
their  sins  behind  our  backs.  My  talk  is  intended  for  all  this  society;  if 
you  would  have  God  have  mercy  on  you,  have  mercy  on  one  another. 

"  President  Smith  then  referred  them  to  the  conduct  of  the  Savior, 
when  He  was  taken  and  crucified,  etc. 

"  He  then  made  a  promise  in  the  name  of  the  Lord,  saying  that  that 
soul  who  has  righteousness  enough  to  ask  God  in  the  secret  place  for  life, 
every  day  of  their  lives,  shall  live  to  three  score  years  and  ten.  We 
must  walk  uprightly  all  the  day  long.  How  glorious  are  the  principles  of 
righteousness !  We  are  full  of  selfishness ;  the  devil  flatters  us  that  we 
are  very  righteous,  when  we  are  feeding  on  the  faults  of  others.  We  can 
only  live  by  worshipping  our  God ;  all  must  do  it  for  themselves ;  none  can 
do  it  for  another.  How  mild  the  Savior  dealt  with  Peter,  saying,  *  When 
thou  art  converted,  strengthen  thy  brethren.'  At  another  time,  He  said 
to  him,  'Lovest  thou  me?*  and  having  received  Peter's  reply.  He  said, 
*  Feed  my  sheep.'  H  the  sisters  loved  the  Lord,  let  them  feed  the  sheep, 
and  not  destroy  them.  How  oft  have  wise  men  and  women  sought  to  dic- 
tate (to)  Brother  Joseph  by  saying,  *  O,  if  I  were  Brother  Joseph,  I 
would  do  that  and  that; '  but  if  they  were  in  Brother  Joseph's  shoes  they 
would  find  that  men  or  women  could  not  be  compelled  into  the  kingdom 
of  God,  but  must  be  dealt  with  in  long-suffering,  and  at  last  we  shall 
save  them.  The  way  to  keep  all  the  Saints  together,  and  keep  the  work 
rolling,  is  to  wait  with  all  long-suffering,  till  God  shall  bring  such  char- 
acters to  justice.  There  should  be  no  license  for  sin,  but  mercy  should 
go  hand  in  hand  with  reproof. 

"Sisters  of  the  society,  shall  there  be  strife  among  you?  I  will  not 
have  it.  You  must  repent  and  get  the  love  of  God.  Away  with  self- 
righteousness.    The  best  measure  or  principle  to  bring  the  poor  to  re- 


LAWGIVER  AND  EXECUTIVE  83 


^H  IS  not  only  to  relieve  the  poor,  but  to  save  souls. 

1^      "  President  Smith  then  said  that  he  would  give  a  lot  of  land  to  the 

society  by  deeding  to  the  treasurer,  that  the  society  may  build  houses 

for  the  poor."-— Ibid.,  pp,  23-25. 

Nor  can  we  doubt  that  the  appeal  of  the  Prophet,  here  re- 
ported in  but  fragmentary  form,  met  with  the  ready  and  generous 
answer  that  has  been  the  wont  of  this  worthy  organization, 
founded  by  him,  when,  as  he  remarked,  "  I  will  now  open  the 
door  for  woman."  It  is  claimed  that,  in  the  foundation  of  the 
Woman's  Relief  Society,  as  it  is  now  known,  was  formed  the 
first  organization  of  women  for  benevolent  purposes,  in  known 
history.  The  Prophet  was  a  pioneer  here,  as  in  other  matters. 
Strange  that  it  takes  a  man,  so  widely  and  persistently  abused  as 
a  mere  "  impostor,"  to  be  thus  a  pioneer  in  good  works !  There 
are  several  vivid  contrasts  between  Calvin's  rule  at  Geneva  — 
and  Calvin  was  a  sort  of  "  prophet " —  and  Joseph  Smith's  rule 
in  Nauvoo  (the  '*  City  Beautiful  ")  ;  and  this  is  one  of  them.  As 
we  may  have  guessed,  also,  there  are  yet  others. 

However  great  may  have  been  Smith's  "  ignorance  " ;  however 
halting  and  ungrammatical  may  have  been  his  speech;  however 
"  uncouth  "  and  '*  self-assertive  "  his  manner ;  however  much  his 
conversation  may  6ave  abounded  in  the  "  puerile  and  even  shock- 
ing" things  remarked  by  Mr.  Quincy,  the  fact  remains  that  he 
sought  to  realize  the  happy  consummations  for  humanity  that 
others  have  only  dreamed  of,  and  called  *'  Utopian " —  i.e., 
"  things  that  happen  in  Nowhere  " —  and  actually  inspired  able 
men  and  earnest  women  to  help  him  realize  his  dreams  of  justice 
and  righteousness.  On  several  occasions  he  repeated  the  state- 
ment that  God  intended  His  Church  to  be  "  a  kingdom  of  priests 
and  kings,"  and  this  simple  suggestion  inspired  many  of  his 
foremost  associates  to  '*  take  him  literally,'*  and  really  try  to 
manifest  priestly  and  kingly  traits.  There  was  something  heroic 
about  this.  It  strongly  reminds  one  of  Tullidge's  forceful  re- 
marks : 

"  A  strange  religion  indeed,  that  meant  something  more  than  faith  and 
prayers  and  creeds.  An  empire-founding  religion,  as  we  have  said, — 
this  religion  of  a  Latter-day  Israel.  A  religion,  in  fact,  that  meant  all 
that  the  name  of  *  Latter-day  Israel'  implies.  .  .  .  Out  of  Egypt  the  seed 
of  promise,  to  become  a  peculiar  people,  a  holy  nation,  with  a  distinctive 
God  and  a  distinctive  destiny.  Out  of  modern  Babylon,  to  repeat  the 
same  Hebraic  drama  in  the  latter  age.  A  Mormon  Iliad  in  every  view." 
—  The  Women  of  Mormondom,  p.  68. 

An  exhortation  worthy  to  rank  —  if  not  in  an  "  Iliad  " —  in 
some  "  epic  of  faith  "  is  found  in  the  "  Epistle  of  the  Twelve  to 
the  Saints  in  America,"  issued  under  date,  April  12,  1842.  It 
contains  the  following  passages : 


84  THE  REAL  MORMONISM 

"  Brethren,  the  Temple  will  be  built.  There  are  hundreds  and  thou- 
sands who  stand  ready  to  sacrifice  the  last  farthing  they  possess  on  the 
earth  rather  than  have  the  building  of  the  Lord's  house  delayed,  and 
while  this  spirit  prevails  no  power  beneath  the  heavens  can  hinder  its 
progress:  but  we  desire  you  all  to  help  with  the  ability  which  God  has 
given  you;  that  you  may  all  share  the  blessings  which  will  distil  from 
heaven  to  earth  through  this  consecrated  channel. 

"  This  is  not  all.  It  will  be  in  vain  for  us  to  build  a  place  where  the 
Son  of  Man  may  lay  his  head,  and  leave  the  cries  of  the  widow  and  the 
fatherless  unheard  by  us,  ascending  up  to  the  orphan's  God  and  widow's 
Friend.  It  is  in  vain,  we  cry  Lord,  Lord,  and  do  not  the  things  our  Lord 
hath  commanded;  to  visit  the  widow,  the  fatherless,  the  sick,  the  lame, 
the  blind,  the  destitute,  and  minister  to  their  necessities;  and  it  is  but 
reasonable  that  such  cases  should  be  found  among  a  people  who  have 
but  recently  escaped  the  fury  of  a  relentless  mob  on  the  one  hand,  and 
gathered  from  the  half-starved  population  of  the  scattered  nations  on  the 
other. 

"  Neither  is  this  all.  It  is  not  sufficient  that  the  poor  be  fed  and 
clothed,  the  sick  ministered  unto,  the  Temple  built  —  no,  when  all  this 
is  accomplished,  there  must  be  a  year  of  Jubilee;  there  must  be  a  day 
of  rejoicing;  there  must  be  a  time  of  release  to  Zion's  sons,  or  our  of- 
ferings, our  exertions,  our  hopes,  and  our  prayers  will  be  in  vain,  and 
God  will  not  accept  of  the  doings  of  His  people. 

"  On  these  days  of  darkness  which  overspread  our  horizon ;  when  the 
wolf  was  howling  for  his  prey  around  the  streets  of  Kirtland;  when 
the  burglar  was  committing  his  midnight  and  midday  depredations  in 
Jackson  County;  when  the  heartless  politician  was  thrusting  his  en- 
vious darts  in  Clay  County  —  and  when  the  savage  war  whoop,  echoed 
and  reechoed  through  Far  West,  and  Zion's  noblest  sons  were  chained  in 
dungeons,  and  her  defenseless  daughters  driven  by  a  horde  of  savages, 
from  their  once  peaceful  homes,  to  seek  a  shelter  in  a  far  distant  land  — 
many  of  the  brethren  stepped  forward  to  their  rescue,  and  not  only  ex- 
pended all  they  possessed  for  the  relief  of  suffering  innocence,  but  gave 
their  notes  and  bonds  to  *  obtain  more  means,  with  which  to  help  those 
who  could  not  escape  the  overwhelming  surge  of  banishment  from  all 
that  they  possessed  on  earth.* 

"To  accomplish  this,  the  President  and  Bishops  loaned  money  and 
such  things  as  could  be  obtained,  and  gave  their  obligations  in  good 
faith  for  the  payment  of  the  same;  and  many  of  the  brethren  signed 
with  them  at  different  times  and  in  different  places,  to  strengthen  their 
hands  and  help  them  carry  out  their  designs;  fully  expecting,  that,  at 
some  future  day,  they  would  be  enabled  to  liquidate  all  such  claims,  to  the 
satisfaction  of  all  parties. 

"  Many  of  these  claims  have  already  been  settled ;  many  have  been 
given  up  as  cancelled  by  those  who  held  them,  and  many  yet  remain  un- 
settled. The  Saints  have  had  many  difficulties  to  encounter  since  they 
arrived  at  this  place.  In  a  new  country,  destitute  of  houses,  food,  cloth- 
ing, and  nearly  all  the  necessaries  of  life,  which  were  rent  from  them 
by  an  unfeeling  mob  —  having  to  encounter  disease  and  difficulties  un- 
numbered, it  is  not  surprising  that  the  Church  has  not  been  able  to  liqui- 
date all  such  claims,  or  that  many  individuals  should  yet  remain  in- 
volved, from  the  foregoing  circumstances;  and  while  things  remain  as 
they  are,  and  men  remain  subject  to  the  temptations  of  evil  as  they  now 
are,  the  day  of  release,  and  year  of  jubilee  cannot  be ;  and  we  write  you 
especially  at  this  time,  brethren,  for  the  purpose  of  making  a  final  settle- 


LAWGIVER  AND  EXECUTIVE  85 

ment  of  all  such  claims,  of  brother  against  brother ;  of  brethren  against 
I  the  Presidency  and  Bishops,  etc. ;  claims  which  have  originated  out  of  the 
J.  difficulties  and  calamities  the  Church  has  had  to  encounter,  and  which 
|.  are  of  long  standing,  so  that  when  the  Temple  is  completed,  there  will 
be  nothing  from  this  source  to  produce  jars,  and  discords,  strifes  and 
animosities,  so  as  to  prevent  the  blessings  of  heaven  descending  upon  us 
'J-     as  a  people. 

f        "To  accomplish  this  most  desirable  object,  we  call  on  all  the  brethren 
'',     who  hold  such  claims,  to  bring  them  forward  for  a  final  settlement;  and 
J      also  those  brethren  who  have  individual  claims  against  each  other,  of  long 
'/      standing,  and  the  property  of  the  debtor  has  been  wrested  from  him  by 
i     violence,  or  he  has  been  unfortunate,  and  languished  on  a  bed  of  sickness 
:Y     till  his  means  are  exhausted ;  and  all  claims  whatsoever  between  brother 
and  brother,  where  there  is  no  reasonable  prospect  of  a  just  and  equita- 
ble settlement  possible,  that  they  also  by  some  means,  either  by  giving  up 
their  obligations,  or  destroying  them,  see  that  all  such  old  affairs  be  ad- 
justed, so  that  it  shall  not  give  occasion  for  difficulties  to  arise  hereafter. 
Yes,  brethren,  bring  all  such  old  accounts,  notes,  bonds,  etc.,  and  make 
a  consecration  of  them  to  the  building  of  the  Temple,  and  if  anything 
can  be  obtained  on  them,  it  will  be  obtained ;  and  if  nothing  can  be  ob- 
tained, when  the  Temple  is  completed,  we  will  make  a  burnt  offering  of 
them,  even  a  peace  offering,  which  shall  bind  the  brethren  together  in 
the  bonds  of  eternal  peace,  and  love  and  union;  and  joy  and  salvation 
shall  flow  forth  into  your  souls,  and  you  shall  rejoice  and  say  it  is  good 
that  we  have  barkened  unto  counsel,  and  set  our  brethren  free,  for  God 
hath  blessed  us. 

"How  can  we  prosper  while  the  Church,  while  the  Presidency,  while 
the  Bishops,  while  those  who  have  sacrificed  everything  but  life,  in  this 
thing,  for  our  salvation,  are  thus  encumbered?  It  cannot  be.  Arise, 
then,  brethren,  set  them  free,  and  set  each  other  free,  and  we  will  all  be 
free  together,  we  will  be  free  indeed." —  History  of  the  Church,  Vol.  IV., 
PP'  591-593. 

However,  as  if  to  emphasize  the  "  other  side  "  of  this  matter, 
in  which  there  might  seem  to  be  a  danger  that  injustice  might  be 
done,  the  epistle  closes  with  this  paragraph,  which  effectually 
absolves  its  authors  from  all  suspicion  of  "  interested  motives  " 
in  the  premises: 

"  Let  nothing  in  this  epistle  be  so  construed  as  to  destroy  the  validity 
of  contracts,  or  give  any  one  license  not  to  pay  his  debts.  The  command- 
ment is  to  pay  every  man  his  dues,  and  no  man  can  get  to  heaven  who 
justly  owes  his  brother  or  his  neighbor,  who  has  or  can  get  the  means 
and  will  not  pay  it;  it  is  dishonest,  and  no  dishonest  man  can  enter 
where  God  is." 

That  the  Church  also  discharged  and  forgave  all  indebtedness 
to  it,  on  the  part  of  its  members  is  altogether  probable,  although 
the  details  of  the  matter  have  not  been  preserved.  On  the  occa- 
sion of  another  "  Jubilee,"  however,  thirty-seven  years  later, 
when  the  fiftieth  anniversary  of  the  founding  of  the  Church  was 
celebrated  in  1880,  the  Church  authorities  made  the  occasion 
memorable  by  canceling  the  entire  outstanding  indebtedness  in- 
curred by  numerous  immigrants  to  Utah  for  expenses  paid  out 
of  the  Perpetual  Immigration  Fund.     The  rule  was  that  the 


86  THE  REAL  MORMONISM 

prospective  emigrant  from  Europe,  or  other  part,  received  his 
expenses  of  transportation,  on  signing  a  contract  to  "  reimburse 
the  same,  in  labor  or  otherwise,  as  soon  as  their  circumstances 
will  admit,"  making  payment  in  full,  "  with  interest  if  required." 

"That  these  obligations  were  never  rigorously  pressed  —  some  anti- 
Mormon  writers  to  the  contrary  notwithstanding  —  is  witnessed  by  the 
fact  that  by  the  year  1880,  the  unpaid  principal  of  indebtedness  to  this 
fund  amounted  in  the  church  to  the  sum  of  $704,000 ;  and  if  interest  on 
this  outstanding  indebtedness  (had  been  charged)  during  the  years  it 
could  legitimately  have  drawn  interest  at  the  rate  of  ten  per  cent. —  the 
usual  rate  in  the  west  previous  to  1880  —  that  interest  would  have 
amounted  to  $900,000;  making  a  total  of  principal  and  interest  of  $1,604,- 
000.  Yet  instead  of  oppressively  seeking  to  collect  this  amount,  the  Fund 
Company  in  the  year  1880  —  the  year  known  in  our  annals  as  the  Year  of 
Jubilee,  the  Church  then  having  been  in  existence  fifty  years  —  one  half 
of  this  principle  and  interest  was  cancelled,  being  applied  on  the  indebt- 
edness of  the  worthy  poor,  they  being  wholly  set  free  from  the  obliga- 
tion of  payment." —  B.  H.  Roberts,  History  of  the  Mormon  Church,  Chap. 
Ixxvii.  {Americana  Magazine,  N.  Y.,  Nov.,  1912.) 

Such  precepts  and  performances  as  are  noted  above  certainly 
go  very  far  toward  establishing  the  contention  that  the  Mormon 
Church  really  represented,  on  these  occasions,  at  least,  a  stably- 
organized  and  fraternal  body  of  people.  In  these  respects  it 
embodied  a  realization  of  high  ideals  of  social  and  moral  reor- 
ganization of  mankind,  which  should  be  the  rule  among  intelli- 
gent human  beings,  instead  of  the  exceptional  possession  of  any 
one  set  of  people  whatsoever.  Nor  can  there  be  a  doubt  in  any 
reflecting  mind  that,  although  the  principles  of  human  brother- 
hood and  mutual  helpfulness  are  a  part  of  the  teachings  of 
Christ,  which  the  world  has  known  for  eighteen  hundred  years, 
they  were  brought  to  practical  operation  in  a  society  of  people 
professing  Christianity,  solely  through  the  influence  of  Joseph 
Smith. 


CHAPTER  VII 

JOSEPH   SMITH   AS  A   STATESMAN   AND  REFORMER 

On  questions  of  current  political  importance  Smith's  opinions 
seem  to  have  been  both  intelligent  and  statesmanlike,  if  we  are  to 
believe  the  testimony  of  contemporaries.  He  seems  to  have 
been  particularly  interested  in  discussing  slavery,  a  live  topic  in 
his  lifetime,  and  to  have  shared  the  opinion  of  many  of  the  wisest 
minds  that  its  abolishment  was  a  necessity.  His  known  attitude 
on  this  subject,  and  the  opinions  of  many  of  his  converts,  who 
came  largely  from  the  New  England  and  middle  states,  is  alleged 
by  some  as  the  real  grounds  for  much  of  the  violent  opposition 
to  the  Mormon  people  in  Missouri.  While  this  opinion  may  be 
partially  correct  as  applied  to  that  state,  it  is  less  valid  as  ex- 
planation of  the  violent  doings  in  Ohio  and  Illinois.  It  is  not 
wholly  improbable  that  a  large  part  of  Mr.  Quincy's  friendly 
feeling  for  Smith  was  due  to  the  latter's  anti-slavery  opinions. 
Thus,  in  the  book  quoted  above,  Quincy  relates  of  a  conversation 
with  Smith: 

"  We  then  went  on  to  talk  of  politics.  Smith  recognized  the  curse  and 
•  iniquity  of  slavery,  though  he  opposed  the  methods  of  the  Abolitionists. 
His  plan  was  for  the  nation  to  pay  for  the  slaves  from  the  sale  of  the 
public  lands.  *  Congress,'  he  said,  *  should  be  compelled  to  take  this 
course,  by  petitions  from  all  parts  of  the  country;  but  the  petitioners 
must  disclaim  all  alliance  with  those  who  would  disturb  the  rights  of 
property  recognized  by  the  Constitution  and  foment  insurrection.'  It 
may  be  worth  while  to  remark  that  Smith's  plan  was  publicly  advocated, 
fe'  eleven  years  later,  by  one  who  has  mixed  so  much  practical  shrewdness 
*"  with  his  lofty  philosophy.  In  1855,  when  men's  minds  had  been  moved 
to  their  depths  on  the  question  of  slavery,  Mr.  Ralph  Waldo  Emerson 
declared  that  it  should  be  met  in  accordance  '  with  the  interest  of  the 
South  and  with  the  settled  conscience  of  the  North.  It  is  not  really  a 
great  task,  a  great  fight  for  this  country  to  accomplish,  to  buy  that  prop- 
erty of  the  planter,  as  the  British  nation  bought  the  West  Indian  slaves.' 
He  further  says  that  the  *  United  States  will  be  brought  to  give  every 
inch  of  their  public  lands  for  a  purpose  like  this.'  We,  who  can  look 
back  upon  the  terrible  cost  of  the  fratricidal  war  which  put  an  end  to 
slavery,  now  say  that  such  a  solution  of  the  difficulty  would  have  been 
worthy  a  Christian  statesman.  But  if  the  retired  scholar  was  in  ad- 
vance of  his  time  when  he  advocated  this  disposition  of  the  public  prop- 
erty in  185s,  what  shall  I  say  of  the  political  and  religious  leader  who 

87 


88  THE  REAL  MORMONISM 

had  committed  himself,  in  print,  as  well  as  in  conversation,  to  the  same 
course  in  1844?  If  the  atmosphere  of  men's  opinions  was  stirred  by 
such  a  proposition  when  war-clouds  were  discernible  in  the  sky,  was  it 
not  a  statesmanlike  word  eleven  years  earlier,  when  the  heavens  looked 
tranquil  and  beneficent? 

^,  "  General  Smith  proceeded  to  unfold  still  further  his  views  upon  poli- 
tics. He  denounced  the  Missouri  Compromise  as  an  unjustifiable  conces- 
sion for  the  benefit  of  slavery.  It  was  Henry  Clay's  bid  for  the  presi- 
dency. Dr.  Goforth  might  have  spared  himself  the  trouble  of  coming  to 
Nauvoo  to  electioneer  for  a  duellist  who  would  fire  at  John  Randolph, 
but  was  not  brave  enough  to  protect  the  Saints  in  their  rights  as  Ameri- 
can citizens.  Clay  had  told  his  people  to  go  to  the  wilds  of  Oregon  and 
set  up  a  government  of  their  own.  Oh,  yes,  the  Saints  might  go  into 
the  wilderness  and  obtain  justice  of  the  Indians,  which  imbecile,  time- 
serving politicians  would  qot  give  them  in  the  land  of  freedom  and  equal- 
ity. The  Prophet  then  talked  of  the  details  of  government.  He  thought 
that  the  number  of  members  admitted  to  the  Lower  House  of  the  Na- 
tional Legislature  should  be  reduced.  A  crowd  only  darkened  counsel 
and  impeded  business.  A  member  to  every  half  million  of  population 
would  be  ample.  The  powers  of  the  President  should  be  increased.  He 
should  have  authority  to  put  down  rebellion  in  a  state,  without  waiting 
for  the  request  of  any  governor;  for  it  might  happen  that  the  governor 
himself  would  be  the  leader  of  the  rebels.  It  is  needless  to  remark 
how  later  events  showed  the  executive  weakness  that  Smith  pointed  out, 
—  a  weakness  which  cost  thousands  of  valuable  lives  and  millions  of 
treasure;  but  the  man  mingled  Utopian  fallacies  with  his  shrewd  sug- 
gestions. He  talked  as  from  a  strong  mind  utterly  unenlightened  by  the 
teachings  of  history.  Finally,  he  told  us  what  he  would  do,  were  he 
•President  of  the  United  States,  and  went  on  to  mention  that  he  might 
one  day  so  hold  the  balance  between  parties  as  to  render  his  election  to 
that  office  by  no  means  unlikely." —  Figures  of  the  Past,  pp.  397-399. 

Apropos  of  Mr.  Quincy's  outright  comparison  of  the  views  of 
Joseph  Smith  with  those  of  so  able  a  thinker  as  Emerson,  it 
seems  in  place  to  remark  that,  with  his  inevitable  mental  bias, 
many  of  the  successful  performances,  already  mentioned,  might 
have  been  classed  among  the  "  Utopian  fallacies,"  as  also  the 
apparent  over-confidence  of  himself  and  his  coadjutors,  which, 
in  any  other  people,  would  undoubtedly  be  attributed  to  an  all- 
sufficient  **  faith."  People  who  beheve  that  they  have  a  mission 
from  God  to  do  any  works,  great  or  small,  usually  exhibit  quali- 
ties closely  suggestive  of  "  over-confidence."  In  such  a  category 
one  might  reasonably  place  the  famous  philanthropist,  George 
Muller,  who,  if  reports  are  correct,  actually  fed  and  clothed  sev- 
eral hundred  orphans  in,  his  asylum  on  the  "  answers  "  given  to 
the  prayers  of  childlike  faith.  As  to  whether  Smith's  mind  was 
**  utterly  unenlightened  by  the  teachings  of  history,"  we  must 
admit,  on  Quincy's  own  testimony,  that  his  suggestions,  for  the 
most  part,  seem  to  have  partaken  of  a  larger  wisdom  than  the 
"  teachings  of  history "  would  seem  to  have  imparted  to  those 
who  finally  dealt  with  the  question  of  slavery  and  its  abolish- 
ment.    Had  Smith's  suggestions  —  or  Emerson's,  if  you  prefer 


I 


STATESMAN  AND  REFORMER  89 


been  actually  put  into  practice,  the  reader  of  United  States 
history  would  have  been  spared  the  shocking  story  of  the  great 
Civil  War,  the  tedious  recountal  of  the  wanton  spoliation  of  the 
Southern  states  by  government  agents  and  unofficial  scoundrels 
and  "  carpet-baggers,"  and  the  squalid  chapter  of  negro  domina- 
tion in  Alabama,  and  other  states,  as  the  result  of  mere  bigotry, 
self -righteousness  and  "  reforming  paranoia,"  all  of  which  are 
miserably  worse  than  the  largest  accusations  made  against  Smith 
and  Mormonism.  Although  chattel  slavery  may  be  an  unmiti- 
gated evil  —  and  it  is  not  wholly  evident  that  it  is  abolished, 
even  to-day  —  the  planters  of  the  Southern  states  purchased 
their  slaves  in  "  good  faith,"  and,  on  the  whole,  cared  for  them 
far  better  than  many  managers  of  "  big  enterprises  "  care  for 
their  employes  at  the  present  time;  and  there  can  be  no  doubt, 
from  the  standpoint  of  strict  justice,  that  they  should  have  been 
reimbursed  when  their  "  property  "  was  taken  from  them.  This 
is  one  of  the  axiomatic  truths  recognized  only  by  a  mind  **  ut- 
terly unenlightened  by  the  teachings  of  history." 

In  another  matter,  also,  Smith's  views  on  the  slavery  problem 
showed  a  degree  of  wisdom  greatly  in  advance  of  the  agitators 
of  his  time.    Thus,  under  date,  January  2,  1843,  ^^  records: 
"  At  five  went  to  Mr.  Sollars'  with  Elders  Hyde  and  Richards.    Elder 
Hyde  inquired  the  situation  of  the  negro.     I   replied,  they  came  into 
the  world  slaves,  mentally  and  physically.     Change  their  situation  with 
the  whites,  and  they  would  be  like  them.    They  have  souls,  and  are  sub- 
jects of  salvation.    Go  into  Cincinnati  or  any  city,  and  find  an  edu- 
cated negro,  who  rides  in  his  carriage,  and  you  will  see  a  man  who 
has  risen  by  the  powers  of  his  own  mind  to  his  exalted  state  of  re- 
spectability.   The  slaves  in   Washington  are  more  refined  than  many 
in  high  places,  and  the  black  boys  will  take  the  shine  off  many  of  those 
they  brush  and  wait  on. 

"  Elder  Hyde  remarked,  *  Put  them  on  the  level,  and  they  will  rise 
above  me.'  I  replied,  if  I  raised  you  to  be  my  equal,  and  then  at- 
tempted to  oppress  you,  would  you  not  be  indignant  and  try  to  rise 
above  me,  as  did  Oliver  Cowdery,  Peter  Whitmer,  and  many  others, 
who  said  I  was  a  fallen  Prophet,  and  they  were  capable  of  leading 
the  people,  although  I  never  attempted  to  oppress  them,  but  had 
always  been  lifting  them  up?  Had  I  anything  to  do  with  the  negro, 
I  would  confine  them  by  strict  law  to  their  own  species,  and  put  ^. 
them  on  a  national  equalization." —  History  of  the  Church,  Vol.  V.,  pp,  f^^ 
217-218. 

Smith's  utterances  on  the  slavery  question  were,  of  course, 
merely  expressions  of  opinion  from  an  intelligent  and  observant 
citizen,  without  further  significance,  as  he  himself  seems  to  rec- 
ognize. The  vicissitudes  of  his  own  position  as  leader  of  his 
Church  and  people,  and  as  the  constant  target  of  disorderly  agi- 
tators, and  the  subject  of  numerous  attempts  at  prosecution  and 
persecution  by  an  official  clique  in  the  State  of  Missouri,  had 


90  THE  REAL  MORMONISM 

already  forced  him  into  the  arena  of  national  politics,  in  the  role 
of  petitioner  seeking  redress  for  undoubted  grievances.  He  had 
appealed  to  Congress  and  to  the  President  to  take  some  measures 
to  compel  the  State  of  Missouri  to  reimburse  the  Mormon  people 
for  the  destruction  of  their  property  and  the  murder  of  their 
relatives  by  drunken  and  unlawful  mobs,  who  had  been  whipped 
into  frenzy  by  wanton  agitators,  both  "  religious  "  and  political, 
but  found  himself  faced  by  the  then  popular  fetich  of  "  state 
rights,"  which,  as  it  seems,  was  understood  to  constitute  a  bar  to 
interference  by  the  Federal  Government,  even  with  the  most 
aggravated  disorders  and  insurrections.  That  this  understand- 
ing of  the  matter  no  longer  holds  is  evidenced  by  the  frequent 
use,  in  recent  years,  of  United  States  troops  to  put  down  strike 
disorders,  particularly  where  interstate  commerce  was  threatened, 
also,  in  merely  local  disorders,  such  as  mining  strikes,  and  the 
like.  That  the  understanding  of  the  doctrine  of  "  state  sover- 
eignty "  should  extend  the  privilege  to  state  governors  and  legis- 
lators to  connive  at  such  disorders  as  occurred  in  Missouri  dur- 
ing a  term  of  several  years  would  not  be  allowed  at  the  present 
day.  Nevertheless,  Smith  could  obtain  no  redress  from  the 
Federal  Government,  and,  as  it  must  seem  from  the  point  of 
view  of  the  present  understanding  of  the  matter,  he  was  justly 
aggrieved. 

The  whole  story  of  the  Mormon  sojourn  in  both  Missouri  and 
Illinois  is  nothing  other  than  a  humiliating  comment  on  the  kind 
of  governmental  efficiency  that  obtained  at  the  midde  of  the  nine- 
teenth century.  Nor  is  it  an  answer  in  any  sense  to  catalogue  a 
lot  of  alleged  acts  of  treason,  violence,  disorder,  immorality, 
robbery,  etc.,  against  the  Mormons  themselves.  As  any  reason- 
able and  informed  person  will  admit,  such  acts,  even  when 
proved  beyond  dispute,  as  is  not  the  case  here,  furnish  no  war- 
rant by  which  the  people  can  be  justified  "  in  taking  the  matter 
into  their  own  hands."  Even  in  cases  in  which  atrocious  mur- 
derers and  ravishers  are  done  to  death  by  mobs  of  '*  outraged 
citizens,"  the  public  sentiment  protests  against  "  lynch  law,"  and 
regrets  that  justice  is  not  allowed  to  take  its  course.  Nor  could 
there  be  any  other  verdict  in  the  matter,  unless,  as  ingeniously 
argued  by  a  certain  Southern  advocate  of  this  method  of  "  jus- 
tice," "  lynching  is  the  divinely-revealed  method  of  dealing  with 
capital  crime  since  the  Bible  specifies,  '  the  people  shall  stone 
him  with  stones.* "  It  is  also  a  sad  comment  on  the  righteous- 
ness of  partisan  politics,  so  miserably  rampant  both  in  this  coun- 
try and  in  England,  that  any  holder  of  a  public  office  should  hesi- 
tate to  take  measures  to  put  down  disorder,  merely  because,  as 
we  must  say,  after  reading  the  history  of  the  times,  he  was  afraid 


I 


STATESMAN  AND  REFORMER  91 


pto  jeopardize  his  own  political  future  by  opposing  mobbers, 
lynchers  and  marauders  of  any  variety.  As  we  shall  see  later. 
Governor  Thomas  Ford  attempted  by  elaborate  and  specious 
argument,  to  "  explain "  his  own  conduct  in  the  Mormon  dis- 
orders in  his  state;  but  succeeds  very  poorly  in  justifying  his 
failure  to  **  preserve  the  peace." 

As  may  be  understood  from  the  foregoing,  it  is  with  very 
doubtful  accuracy  or  justice,  that  Smith  and  his  people  are 
variously  accused,  even  to  the  present  time,  of  seeking  "  sedi- 
tiously "  to  found  governments  independent  of  both  state  and 
nation.  Having  been  obliged  to  withdraw  from  Missouri,  and 
later  finding  that  the  same  kind  of  wanton  agitation,  parading 
under  the  disguise  of  political  and  social  righteousness,  even  of 
religion,  also,  was  theatening  them  in  Illinois,  the  proposed  peti- 
tion to  Congress,  to  make  the  city  of  Nauvoo,  and  its  environs, 
federal  territory,  must  seem  reasonable,  even  if  a  "  forlorn 
hope."  There  is  at  least  nothing  seditious  about  it.  But  the 
matter  never  came  to  anything. 

However,  as  the  direct  result  of  failure  to  obtain  justice  from 
accredited  authorities  and  tribunals,  and  to  be  protected  from  the 
activities  of  disorderly  mobs,  the  Prophet,  as  he  states,  consented 
to  accept  nomination  for  the  Presidency  of  the  United  States. 
Several  ill-informed  writers  have  attempted  to  allege  this  act  as 
evidence  of  his  derangement,  but,  in  all  justice  and  consistency, 
it  must  be  insisted  that  his  actions  and  expressions  at  this  time 
evidence  nothing  of  the  kind.  Thus,  under  date,  January  29, 
1844,  he  records: 

"  At  ten,  A.  M.,  the  Twelve  Apostles,  together  with  Brother  Hyrum 
and  John  P.  Greene,  met  at  the  mayor's  office,  to  take  into  considera- 
tion the  proper  course  for  this  people  to  pursue  in  relation  to  the 
coming  Presidential  election. 

"The  candidates  for  the  office  of  President  of  the  United  States 
at  present  before  the  people  are  Martin  Van  Buren  and  Henry  Clay. 
It  is  morally  impossible  for  this  people,  in  justice  to  themselves,  to 
vote  for  the  re-election  of  President  Van  Buren  —  a  man  who  crim- 
inally neglected  his  duties  as  chief  magistrate  in  the  cold  and  unblush- 
ing manner  which  he  did,  when  appealed  to  for  aid  in  the  Missouri 
difficulties.  His  heartless  reply  burns  like  a  firebrand  in  the  breast 
of  every  true  friend  of  liberty — 'Your  cause  is  just,  but  I  can  do 
nothing  for  you.* 

"As  to  Mr.  Clay,  his  sentiments  and  cool  contempt  of  the  people's 
rights  are  manifested  in  his  reply— "'Fom  had  better  go  to  Oregon 
for  redress/  which  would  prohibit  any  true  lover  of  our  constitutional 
privil^es  from  supporting  him  at  the  ballot-box. 

"It  was  therefore  moved  by  Willard  Richards,  and  voted  unani- 
mously — 

"That  we  will  have  an  independent  electoral  ticket,  and  that  Joseph 
Smith  be  a  candidate  for  the  next  Presidency;  and  that  we  use  all 
honorable  means  in  our  power  to  secure  his  election. 


92  THE  REAL  MORMONISM 

"I  said  — 

"If  you  attempt  to  accomplish  this,  you  must  send  every  man  in 
the  city  who  is  able  to  speak  in  public  throughout  the  land  to  elec- 
tioneer and  make  stump  speeches,  advocate  the  *  Mormon '  religion, 
purity  of  elections,  and  call  upon  the  people  to  stand  by  the  law  and 
put  down  mobocracy.  .  .  . 

"After  the  April  Conference  we  will  have  General  Conferences 
all  over  the  nation,  and  I  will  attend  as  many  as  convenient.  Tell 
the  people  we  have  had  Whig  and  Democratic  Presidents  long  enough: 
we  want  a  President  of  the  United  States.  If  I  ever  get  into  the  presi- 
dential chair,  I  will  protect  the  people  in  their  rights  and  liberties.  .  .  . 
The  Whigs  are  striving  for  a  king  under  the  garb  of  Democracy. 
There  is  oratory  enough  in  the  Church  to  carry  me  into  the  presi- 
dential chair  the  first  slide." — History  of  the  Church,  Vol.  VI.,  pp. 
187-188. 

One  week  later,  under  date,  February  8,  1844,  he  addressed  a 
meeting  as  follows: 

"  I  would  not  have  suffered  my  name  to  have  been  used  by  my 
friends  on  anywise  as  President  of  the  United  States,  or  candidate 
for  that  office,  if  I  and  piy  friends  could  have  had  the  privilege  of 
enjoying  our  religious  and  civil  rights  as  American  citizens,  even  those 
rights  which  the  Constitution  guarantees  unto  all  her  citizens  alike. 
But  this  as  a  people  we  have  been  denied  from  the  beginning.  Perse- 
cution has  rolled  upon  our  heads  from  time  to  time,  from  portions 
of  the  United  States,  like  peals  of  thunder,  because  of  our  religion; 
and  no  portion  of  the  Government  as  yet  has  stepped  forward  for 
our  relief.  And  in  view  of  these  things,  I  feel  it  to  be  my  right  and 
privilege  to  obtain  what  influence  and  power  I  can,  lawfully,  in  the 
United  States,  for  the  protection  of  injured  innocence;  and  if  I  lose 
my  life  in  a  good  cause  I  am  willing  to  be  sacrificed  on  the  altar  of 
virtue,  righteousness  and  truth,  in  maintaining  the  laws  and  Consti- 
tution of  the  United  States,  if  need  be,  for  the  general  good  of  man- 
kind."—/5irf.,  pp.  210-21 1. 

In  the  meantime.  Smith  had  prepared  his  famous  pamphlet, 
entitled  '*  Views  of  the  Powers  and  Policy  of  the  Government  of 
the  United  States,"  which  may  be  called  the  "  platform,"  upon 
which  he  based  his  candidacy.  After  reviewing  the  principles 
and  practices  of  the  earlier  presidents,  and  deploring  the  gradual 
decay  and  corruption  of  American  ideals,  he  proceeds  to  make 
sundry  recommendations,  which  are  interesting  historically,  if, 
indeed,  no  otherwise.  In  some  particulars  his  recommendations 
have  since  been  adopted ;  in  some,  as  already  suggested,  it  is  un- 
fortunate that  they  were  not  adopted;  in  others  again  he  was 
evidently  ahead  of  his  times,  and,  as  we  may  regret,  still  seems 
to  be  so.     He  recommends  partly,  as  follows : 

"  Reduce  Congress  at  least  two-thirds.  Two  Senators  from  a  State 
and  two  members  to  a  million  of  population  will  do  more  business  than 
the  army  that  now  occupy  the  halls  of  the  national  Legislature.  Pay 
them  two  dollars  and  their  board  per  diem  (except  Sundays).  That 
is  more  than  the  farmer  gets,  and  he  lives  honestly.  Curtail  the  offi- 
cers of  Government  in  pay,  number,  and  power;   for  the   Philistine 


STATESMAN  AND  REFORMER  93 

lords  have  shorn  our  nation  of  its  goodly  locks  in  the  lap  of  De- 
lilah. .  .  . 

"  Advise  your  legislators,  when  they  make  laws  for  larceny,  bur- 
glary, or  any  felony,  to  make  the  penalty  applicable  to  work  upon 
roads,  public  works,  or  any  place  where  the  culprit  can  be  taught  more 
wisdom  and  more  virtue,  and  become  more  enlightened.  Rigor  and 
seclusion  will  never  do  as  much  to  reform  the  propensities  of  men 
as  reason  and  friendship.  Murder  only  can  claim  confinement  or 
death.  Let  the  penitentiaries  be  turned  into  seminaries  of  learning, 
where  intelligence,  like  the  angels  of  heaven,  would  banish  such  frag- 
ments of  barbarism.  Imprisonment  for  debt  is  a  meaner  practice  than 
the  savage  tolerates,  with  all  his  ferocity.      Amor  vincit  omnia* 

"  Petition,  also,  ye  goodly  inhabitants  of  the  slave  States,  your  leg- 
islators to  abolish  slavery  by  the  year  1850,  or  now,  and  save  the  aboli- 
tionist from  reproach  and  ruin,  infamy  and  shame. 

"  Pray  Congress  to  pay  every  man  a  reasonable  price  for  his  slaves 
out  of  the  surplus  revenue  arising  from  the  sale  of  public  lands,  and 
from  the  deduction  of  pay  from  the  members  of  Congress. 

".  .  .  Abolish  the  practice  in  the  army  and  navy  of  trying  men  by 
court-martial  for  desertion.  If  a  soldier  or  marine  runs  away,  send 
him  his  wages,  with  this  instruction,  that  his  country  will  never  trust 
him  again;  he  has  forfeited  His  honor. 

"Make  honor  the  standard  with  all  men.  Be  sure  that  good  is  ren- 
dered for  evil  in  all  cases,  and  the  whole  nation,  like  a  kingdom  of 
kings  and  priests,  will  rise  up  in  righteousness,  and  be  respected  as 
wise  and  worthy  on  earth,  and  as  just  and  holy  for  heaven,  by 
Jehovah,  the  author  of  perfection. 

"  More  economy  in  the  National  and  State  governments  would  make 
less  taxes  among  the  people;  more  equality  through  the  cities,  towns, 
and  country,  would  make  less  distinction  among  the  people;  and  more 
honesty  and  familiarity  in  societies,  would  make  less  hypocrisy  and 
flattery  in  all  branches  of  the  community;  and  open,  frank,  candid 
decorum  to  all  men,  in  this  boasted  land  of  liberty,  would  beget  esteem, 
confidence,  union  and  love;  and  the  neighbor  from  any  State  or  from 
any  country,  of  whatever  color,  clime  or  tongue,  could  rejoice  when 
he  put  his  foot  on  the  sacred  soil  of  freedom,  and  exclaim,  The  very 
name  of  'American'  is  fraught  with  friendship.  .  .  . 

"  For  the  accommodation  of  the  people  in  every  State  and  Terri- 
tory, let  Congress  show  their  wisdom  by  granting  a  national  bank,  with 
branches  in  each  State  and  Territory,  where  the  capital  stock  shall 
be  held  by  the  nation  for  the  mother  bank,  and  by  the  States  and 
Territories  for  the  branches ;  and  whose  officers  and  directors  shall 
be  elected  yearly  by  the  people,  with  wages  at  the  rate  of  two  dollars 
per  day  for  services;  which  several  banks  shall  never  issue  any  more 
bills  than  the  amount  of  capital  stock  in  her  vaults  and  the  interest. 

"  The  net  gain  of  the  mother  bank  shall  be  applied  to  the  national 
revenue,  and  that  of  the  branches  to  the  States'  and  Territories'  reve- 
nues. And  the  bills  shall  be  par  throughout  the  nation,  which  will 
mercifully  cure  that  fatal  disorder  known  in  cities  as  brokerage,  and 
leave  the  people's  money  in  their  own  pockets. 

"Give  every  man  his  constitutional  freedom  and  the  President  full 
power  to  send  an  army  to  suppress  mobs,  and  the  States  authority 
to  repeal  and  impugn  that  relic  of  folly  which  makes  it  necessary 
for  the  Governor  of  a  State  to  make  the  demand  of  the  President 
for  troops,  in  case  of  invasion  or  rebellion. 


94  THE  REAL  MORMONISM 

"The  Governor  himself  may  be  a  mobber;  and  instead  of  being 
punished,  as  he  should  be,  for  murder  or  treason,  he  may  destroy  the 
very  lives,  rights,  and  property  he  should  protect.  .  .  . 

"  As  to  the  contiguous  Territories  to  the  United  States,  wisdom 
would  direct  no  tangling  alliance.  Oregon  belongs  to  this  Government 
honorably;  and  when  we  have  the  red  man's  consent,  let  the  Union 
spread  from  the  east  to  the  west  sea;  and  if  Texas  petitions  Con- 
gress to  be  adopted  among  the  sons  of  liberty,  give  her  the  right 
hand  of  fellowship,  and  refuse  not  the  same  friendly  grip  to  Canada 
and  Mexico.  And  when  the  right  arm  of  freemen  is  stretched  out 
in  the  character  of  a  navy  for  the  protection  of  rights,  commerce, 
and  honor,  let  the  iron  eyes  of  power  watch  from  Maine  to  Mexico, 
and  from  California  to  Columbia.  .  .  . 

"The  Southern  people  are  hospitable  and  noble.  They  will  help 
to  rid  so  free  a  country  of  every  vestige  of  slavery,  whenever  they 
are  assured  of  an  equivalent  for  their  property.  The  country  will 
be  full  of  money  and  confidence  when  a  National  Bank  of  twenty 
millions,  and  a  State  Bank  in  every  State,  with  a  million  or  more, 
give  a  tone  to  monetary  matters,  and  make  a  circulating  medium  as 
valuable  in  the  purses  of  a  whole  community,  as  in  the  coffers  of 
a   speculating  banker  or   broker.  .  .  . 

"  In  the  United  States  the  people  are  the  Government,  and  their 
united  voice  is  the  only  sovereign  that  should  rule,  the  only  power 
that  should  be  obeyed,  and  the  only  gentlemen  that  should  be  honored 
at  home  and  abroad,  on  the  land  and  on  the  sea.  Wherefore,  were 
I  the  President  of  the  United  States,  by  the  voice  of  a  virtuous 
people,  I  would  honor  the  old  paths  of  the  venerated  fathers  of  free- 
dom; I  would  walk  in  the  tracks  of  the  illustrious  patriots  who  car- 
ried the  ark  of  the  Government  upon  their  shoulders  with  an  eye 
single  to  the  glory  of  the  people;  and  when  that  people  petitioned 
to  abolish  slavery  in  the  slave  States,  I  would  use  all  honorable  means 
to  have  their  prayers  granted,  and  give  liberty  to  the  captive  by  pay- 
ing the  Southern  gentlemen  a  reasonable  equivalent  for  their  property, 
that  the  whole  nation  might  be  free  indeed! 

"  When  the  people  petitioned  for  a  National  Bank,  I  would  use  my 
best  endeavors  to  have  their  prayers  answered,  and  establish  one  on 
national  principles  to  save  taxes,  and  make  them  the  controllers  of 
its  ways  and  means.  And  when  the  people  petitioned  to  possess  the 
Territory  of  Oregon,  or  any  other  contiguous  Territory,  I  would 
lend  the  influence  of  a  Chief  Magistrate  to  grant  so  reasonable  a 
request,  that  they  might  extend  the  mighty  efforts  and  enterprise  of 
a  free  people  from  the  east  to  the  west  sea,  and  make  the  wilderness 
blossom  as  the  rose.  And  when  a  neighboring  realm  petitioned  to  join 
the  unioij  of  the  sons  of  liberty,  my  voice  would  be,  Come  —  yea,  come, 
Texas;  come,  Mexico;  come,  Canada;  and  come,  all  the  world;  let 
us  be  iDrethren,  .  .  .  and  let  there  be  a  universal  peace. 

"Abolish  the  cruel  custom  of  prisons  (except  certain  cases),  peni- 
tentiaries, court-martials  for  desertion;  and  let  reason  and  friend- 
ship reign  over  the  ruins  of  ignorance  and  barbarity;  yea,  I  would, 
as  the  universal  friend  of  man,  open  the  prisons,  open  the  eyes,  open 
the  ears,  and  open  the  hearts  of  all  people,  to  behold  and  enjoy  free- 
dom—  unadulterated  freedom;  and  God,  who  once  cleansed  the  vio- 
lence of  the  earth  with  a  flood,  whose  Son  laid  down  His  life  for  the 
salvation  of  all  His  Father  gave  him  out  of  the  world,  and  who  has 
promised  that  He  will  come  and  purify  the  world  again  with  fire  in 
the  last  days,  should  be  supplicated  by  me  for  the  good  of  all  people." 


I 


STATESMAN  AND  REFORMER  95 


On  reading  this  manifesto,  the  conviction  occurs  strongly  that 
it  must  have  been  read  by  Josiah  Quincy,  or,  at  the  least,  that  its 
substance  must  have  been  imparted  to  him  in  conversations  by 
Smith;  thus  furnishing  the  real  ground  for  his  remarks  on 
"  Utopian  fallacies,"  as  previously  noted.  As  the  candid  reader 
must  agree,  this  document  is  preeminently  thfe  work  of  an  idealist, 
one  whose  faith  in  the  principles  for  which  he  stood  —  the  immi- 
nence of  God's  providential  activities  in  reorganizing  and  redeem- 
ing human  society,  as  well  as  all  individual  men  —  is  constant, 
consistent  and  all-sufficient.  Thus,  he  interpolates  into  a  docu- 
ment, which,  by  all  precedents,  should  be  exclusively  "  political," 
consideration  of  matters  peculiarly  religious,  theological  and 
moral.  His  is  the  same  order  of  "  idealism "  as  that  which 
wrote  into  our  Declaration  of  Independence  the  memorable 
words : 

"We  hold  these  truths  to  be  self-evident,  that  all  men  are  created 
equal,  that  they  are  endowed  by  their  Creator  with  certain  inalien- 
able Rights,  that  among  these  are  Life,  Liberty  and  the  pursuit  of 
Happiness.  That  to  secure  these  rights,  Governments  are  instituted 
among  men,  deriving  their  just  powers  from  the  consent  of  the  governed. 
That  whenever  any  Form  of  Government  becomes  destructive  of  these 
ends,  it  is  the  Right  of  the  People  to  alter  or  to  abolish  it,  and  to  institute 
new  Government,  laying  its  foundation  on  such  principles  and  organizing 
its  powers  in  such  form,  as  to  them  shall  seem  most  likely  to  effect  their 
Safety  and  Happiness." 

Such  sentences  could  be  injected  into  a  political  document  only 
because  its  authors  believed  that,  in  some  fashion,  these  "  inal- 
ienable rights  "  were  through  them  about  to  be  safeguarded  to 
all  mankind  —  evidently  a  good  case  of  "  Utopian  fallacy."  It 
is  evident,  also,  that  Smith's  protest  against  governmental  cor- 
ruptions is  no  more  Utopian  than  Jefferson's  Declaration,  nor 
any  more  fatuous  than  the  expressions  found  in  Jefferson's  letter 
to  Thomas  Paine,  written  on  the  occasion  of  his  own  accession 
to  the  Presidency. 

"  You  will,  in  general,"  he  says,  "  find  us  returning  to  sentiments 
worthy  of  former  times.  In  these  it  will  be  your  glory  to  have 
steadily  labored,  and  with  as  much  effect  as  any  man  living.  That 
you  may  live  long  to  continue  your  useful  labors,  and  reap  the  reward 
in  the  thankfulness  of  nations,  is  my  sincere  prayer." 

Jeflferson,  also,  as  it  seems,  held  high  ambitions  to  make  his 
own  administration  ideally  fruitful;  and,  as  for  Paine,  he  was 
an  idealist  of  the  most  confirmed  type.  Idealists  invariably  mani- 
fest supreme  faith  in  their  ideals,  and  ever  forget  the  fatal  im- 
pediment to  be  encountered  in  the  "  inertia  "  of  human  depravity, 
which  has  acted  hitherto  to  thwart  the  noblest  designs  of  the 
greatest  minds.  Every  idealist,  also,  must  seem,  like  Joseph 
Smith,  "to  speak  as  from  a  strong  mind  utterly  unenlightened 


96  THE  REAL  MORMONISM 

by  the  teachings  of  history."  These  ''teachings,"  indeed,  tend 
to  confirm  the  opinion  that  between  the  ideal  and  the  practicable, 
"  there  is  a  great  gulf  fixed  " ;  although  enlightened  intelligence 
indicates,  with  unwavering  certainty,  that,  before  a  perfect,  or 
even  an  efficient,  social  order  can  eventuate  —  before  even  the 
most  obvious  principles  of  right  and  justice  can  be  made  avail- 
able—  the  general  average  of  intelligence  and  good  will  among 
human  beings  must  be  raised,  and  most  of  the  virtues  classed  as 
both  "  ethical "  and  "  moral,"  must,  somehow,  be  embodied  in 
the  behavior  of  the  majority.  To  men  like  Paine,  who  believe 
that  this  sublime  consummation  awaits  only  the  inculcation  and 
acceptance  of  true  and  philosophical  views  of  life,  and  of  the 
mutual  relations  of  man  with  man,  or  who,  like  Smith,  anticipate 
the  speedy  appearance  of  the  King  of  kings  "  to  rule  the  nations 
with  a  rod  of  iron,"  the  ideal  seems  the  more  important  con- 
sideration, although  with  both  the  "  practical "  is  ably  calculated. 
Such  a  document  as  the  above  sheds  a  most  important  light  upon 
the  motives  and  opinions  of  Joseph  Smith. 

However  accurate  our  view  of  this  pamphlet  of  Smith's  may 
be,  the  fact  remains  that  the  saner  portion  of  the  public  was  con- 
tent to  accept  it  as  a  bona-fide  declaration  of  principles,  suppos- 
ing that  its  "  idealism,"  as  we  are  constrained  to  call  it,  was  only 
the  flowery  rhetoric  and  enthused  oratory,  so  familiar  at  that  day. 
Thus,  several  newspapers  commented  on  Smith's  nomination 
quite  as  a  matter  of  course,  suggesting  in  no  particular  that  it 
exhibited  "  presumption,"  "  insanity,"  or  any  of  the  other  de- 
fects since  "  discovered  "  by  unintelligent  writers.  A  Springfield 
newspaper  speaks  as  follows: 

"It  appears  by  the  Nauvoo  papers  that  the  Mormon  Prophet  is 
actually  a  candidate  for  the  presidency.  He  has  sent  us  his  pamphlet, 
containing  an  extract  of  his  principles,  from  which  it  appears  that 
he  is  up  to  the  hub  for  a  United  States  bank  and  a  protective  tariff. 
On  these  points  he  is  much  more  explicit  than  Mr.  Clay,  who  will 
not  say  that  he  is  for  a  bank,  but  talks  all  the  time  of  restoring  a 
national  currency.  Nor  will  Mr,  Clay  say  what  kind  of  a  tariff 
he  is  for.  He  says  to  the  south  that  he  has  not  sufficiently  examined 
the  present  tariff,  but  thinks  very  likely  it  should  be  amended, 

"  General  Smith  possesses  no  such  fastidious  delicacy.  He  comes 
right  out  in  favor  of  a  bank  and  a  tariff,  taking  the  true  Whig 
ground,  and  ought  to  be  regarded  as  the  real  Whig  candidate  for 
President,  until  Mr.  Clay  can  so  far  recover  from  his  shuffling  and 
dodging  as  to  declare  his  sentiments  like  a  man. 

"At  present  we  can  form  no  opinion  of  Clay's  principles,  ex- 
cept as  they  are  professed  by  his  friends  in  these  parts. 

"  Clay  himself  has  adopted  the  notion  which  was  once  entertained 
by  an  eminent  grammarian,  who  denied  that  language  was  intended 
as  a  means  to  express  one's  ideas,  but  insisted  that  it  was  invented 
on  purpose  to  aid  us  in  concealing  them." — Illinois  Springfield  Reg- 
ister, 1844. 


I 


STATESMAN  AND  REFORMER  97 


Another  contemporary  newspaper  comments  with  equal  favor 
on  the  candidacy  of  the  Prophet,  in  the  following  words : 

"We  see  from  the  Nauvoo  Neighbor  that  General  Joseph  Smith, 
the  great  Mormon  Prophet,  has  become  a  candidate  for  the  next 
presidency.  We  do  not  know  whether  he  intends  to  submit  his  claims 
to  the  National  Convention,  or  not;  but  judging  from  the  language  of 
his  own  organ,  we  conclude  that  he  considers  himself  a  full  team 
for  all  of  them. 

"  All  that  we  can  say  on  this  point  is,  that  if  superior  talent,  genius, 
and  intelligence,  combined  with  virtue,  integrity,  and  enlarged  views, 
are  any  guarantee  of  General  Smith's  being  elected,  we  think  that  he 
will  be  a  '  full  team  of  himself.* 

"The  Missouri  Republican  believes  that  it  will  be  death  to  Van 
Buren,  and  all  agree  that  it  must  be  injurious  to  the  Democratic  ranks, 
inasmuch  as  it  will  throw  the  Mormon  vote  out  of  the  field." — Iowa 
-    Democrat,  1844. 

i  This  latter  newspaper  also  quotes  in  extenso  a  letter  from  a 
person  signing  himself  "  A  Traveler,"  which  had  formerly  been 
published  in  the  Mormon  magazine,  Times  and  Seasons,  as  fol- 
lows: 

"I  have  been  conversant  with  the  great  men  of  the  age;  and,  last 
of  all  I  feel  that  I  have  met  with  the  greatest,  in  the  presence  of  your 
esteemed  Prophet,  General  Joseph  Smith.  From  many  reports,  I 
had  reason  to  believe  him  a  bigoted  religionist,  as  ignorant  of  politics 
as  the  savages;  but,  to  my  utter  astonishment,  on  the  short  acquaint- 
ance, I  have  found  him  as  familiar  in  the  cabinet  of  nations  as  with 
his  Bible,  and  in  the  knowledge  of  that  book  I  have  not  met  with  his 
equal  in  Europe  or  America.  Although  I  should  beg  leave  to  differ 
with  him  in  some  items  of  faith,  his  nobleness  of  soul  will  not  permit 
him  to  take  offense  at  me.  No,  sir;  I  find  him  open,  frank,  and  gen- 
erous,—  as  willing  others  should  enjoy  their  opinions  as  to  enjoy 
his  own. 

"  The  General  appears  perfectly  at  home  on  every  subject,  and  his 
familiarity  with  many  languages  affords  him  ample  means  to  become 
informed  concerning  all  nations  and  principles,  which  with  his^  famil- 
iar and  dignified  deportment  towards  all  must  secure  to  his  interest 
the  affections  of  every  intelligent  and  virtuous  man  that  may  chance 
to  fall  in  his  way,  and  I  am  astonished  that  so  little  is  known  abroad 
concerning  him. 

"...  I  have  no  reason  to  doubt  but  General  Smith's  integrity  is 
equal  to  any  other  individual;  and  I  am  satisfied  he  cannot  easily  be 
made  the  plant  tool  of  any  political  party.  I  take  him  to  be  a  man 
who  stands  far  aloof  from  little  caucus  quibblings  and  squabblings, 
while  nations,  governments,  and  realms  are  wielded  in  his  hand  as 
familiarly  as  the  top  and  hoop  in  the  hands  of  their  little  masters. 

"  Free  from  all  bigotry  and  superstition,  he  dives  into  every  sub- 
ject, and  it  seems  as  though  the  world  was  not  large  enough  to  satisfy 
his  capacious  soul,  and  from  his  conversation  one  might  suppose  him 
as  well  acquainted  with  other  worlds  as  this. 

"So  far  as  I  can  discover.  General  Smith  is  the  nation's  man,  and 
the  man  who  will  exalt  the  nation,  if  the  people  will  give  him  the 
opportunity;  and  all  parties  will  find  a  friend  in  him  so  far  as  right 
is  concerned. 

"General  Smith's  movements  are  perfectly  anomalous  in  the  esti- 


98  THE  REAL  MORMONISM 

mation  of  the  public.  All  other  men  have  been  considered  wise  in 
drawing  around  them  wise  men;  but  I  have  frequently  heard  the 
General  called  a  fool  because  he  has  gathered  the  wisest  of  men  to 
his  cabinet,  who  direct  his  movements;  but  this  subject  is  too  ridicu- 
lous to  dwell  upon.  Suffice  it  to  say,  so  far  as  I  have  seen,  he  has 
wise  men  at  his  side  —  superlatively  wise,  and  more  capable  of  man- 
aging the  affairs  of  a  State  than  most  men  now  engaged  therein, 
which  I  consider  much  to  his  credit,  though  I  would  by  no  means  speak 
diminutively  of  my  old  friend. 

"  From  my  brief  acquaintance,  I  consider  General  Smith  (independ- 
ent of  his  religious  views,  in  which  by-the-by,  I  have  discovered  neither 
vanity  nor  folly),  the  sine  qua  non  of  the  age  to  our  nation's  pros- 
perity. He  has  learned  the  all-imporfant  lesson  'to  profit  by  the  ex- 
perience of  those  who  have  gone  before';  so  that,  in  short.  General 
Smith  begins  where  other  men  leave  off.  I  am  aware  this  will  appear 
a  bold  assertion  to  some ;  but  I  would  say  to  such,  call,  and  form  your 
acquaintance,  as  I  have  done;  then  judge." 

In  default  of  information  as  to  the  identity  of  this  "  Traveler," 
it  is  impossible,  of  course,  to  refute  the  probable  accusation  that 
his  statements  must  have  been  inspired  by  some  pro- Smith 
agency.  It  is  interesting  to  consider,  however,  that  he  describes 
precisely  the  kind  of  man  who  would  seem  most  capable  of  found- 
ing such  a  movement  as  Mormonism,  which,  as  we  shall  see 
later,  has  operated  wonderfully  for  the  benefit,  both  temporal 
and  moral,  of  the  people  adhering  to  its  principles ;  such  a  man, 
also,  as  would  likely  express  such  sentiments  as  appear  in  the 
above-quoted  pamphlet ;  and  who,  in  all  probability,  would  be  the 
object  of  nearly  prostrate  devotion,  on  the  one  hand,  and  of  an 
altogether  exceptional  hatred  and  detestation,  on  the  other.  All 
of  these  elements  are  found  in  the  history  of  Joseph  Smith,  and 
best  explain  his  doings,  on  the  theory  that  both  Quincy  and  "  A 
Traveler,"  who  saw  him  in  his  later  days,  have  furnished  a 
truer  picture  of  his  personality  and  habits  than  those  "  second- 
hand authorities"  and  vengeful  apostates,  who  confidently  ac- 
cuse him  of  being  "  an  infamous  and  villainous  deceiver  and 
scoundrel,"  or  else  hold  that  "  he  was,  at  times,  actually  de- 
mented." 


CHAPTER  VIII 

JOSEPH  SMITH   IN   HIS  PERSONAL  ASSOCIATIONS 

In  completing  our  study  of  Smith's  character  and  influence, 
we  are  compelled  to  notice  another  phase  of  his  personality  that 
seems  to  have  had  but  scant  attention  from  any  of  the  various 
writers  who  have  attempted  to  estimate  him.  This  is  his  ap- 
parently unfailing  ability  to  make  enemies.  It  might  be  possible 
to  assert  with  confidence  that  this  quality  indicated  an  "un- 
fathomable depth  of  turpitude/*  which  was  bound  to  revolt  many 
of  his  associates,  and  cause  them  to  apostatize,  were  it  not  for 
the  fact  that  a  large  and  representative  percentage  of  these  peo- 
ple, bitter  and  implacable  enemies  all,  have  been  of  a  character 
not  so  far  removed  from  the  commission  of  the  very  iniquities 
charged  against  them  by  Smith  and  the  Church  authorities,  as 
to  be  "  revolted  at "  the  things  alleged  by  themselves  in  turn. 
Among  such  may  be  mentioned  the  notorious  John  C.  Bennett, 
who  was  transformed  from  the  agent  who  secured  the  passage  of 
the  Nauvoo  charters  —  he  was  also  the  first  mayor  of  the  city  — 
into  one  of  the  bitterest  enemies  that  Smith  and  Mormonism  ever 
had ;  but,  as  noted  in  a  previous  quotation,  even  Governor  Ford, 
who  was  no  advocate  of  Smith's,  testifies  to  the  rascality  of  Ben- 
nett. Similarly,  Philastus  Hurlburt,  the  father  of  the  Spaulding 
hypothesis,  who  added  to  his  other  vices  his  false  pretensions  as 
a  qualified  physician  —  a  mere  "  quack,"  in  short  —  seems  an 
incompetent  witness  against  the  promulgators  of  false  assump- 
tions, unless  we  admit,  in  the  words  of  a  certain  noted  journalist, 
that  "  he  was  such  a  sham  himself  that  he  was  well  qualified  to 
detect  sham  in  others,"  on  the  classic  principle  of  "  setting  a  thief 
to  catch  a  thief."  Some  of  the  charges  made  by  other  apostates 
are  so  utterly  vile  as  to  seem  their  own  best  refutation,  since,  if 
true,  they  are  of  such  a  character  as  to  revolt  any  one  possessed 
of  a  spark  of  decency.  It  is  surprising,  on  the  hypothesis  that 
they  are  true,  that  persons  claiming  ordinary  decency  of  char- 
acter should  connive  at  them  for  so  long  a  time,  as  must  have 
been  the  case,  if  we  accept  their  testimony  that  such  things  are 
well  known.     On  the  other  hand,  the  situation  is  embarrassed 

99 


100  THE  REAL  MORMONISM 

by  the  fact  that  so  goodly  a  proportion  of  clean,  able  and  ex- 
cellent people  have  never  apostatized  from  their  connection  with 
this  Church  and  its  founder,  although  in  positions  to  know  of  all 
the  *'  abominations  "  alleged  by  others,  if  such  be  assumed  to 
exist  at  all. 

Where  superlative  wickedness,  secretly  practiced,  is  alleged 
against  any  man,  or  against  any  set  of  people,  it  is  difficult,  of 
course,  to  deny  its  existence  with  any  degree  of  confidence.  It 
is  fair  in  such  cases,  however,  to  consider  the  character  of  those 
who  make  the  accusations,  and  their  reputations  for  veracity,  in 
order  to  form  a  judgment  for  or  against  the  probability  of  the 
conditions  alleged  by  them.  Thus  only  can  we  discriminate 
wanton  and  wicked  slander  from  anything  worthy  to  rank  as 
credible. 

In  the  case  of  Joseph  Smith,  as  may  be  safely  asserted  on  any 
hypothesis  regarding  him,  a  greater  part  of  the  antagonism  dis- 
played by  apostates,  as  well  as  by  outsiders,  was  undoubtedly 
personal  in  character.  Like  all  men  capable  of  accomplishing 
large  results,  he  was  evidently  a  person  of  strong  will  and  great 
determination  —  people  of  other  varieties  are  incapable  of  the 
greatest  influence  in  the  world.  Such  people  must  frequently 
demand  implicit  obedience  from  their  associates  and  assistants, 
and  are  liable,  under  frequently-recurring  conditions,  to  excite 
bitter  antagonism  in  the  minds  of  even  their  closest  associates, 
even  in  those  whose  fortunes  they  have  made,  in  a  literal  sense. 
Thus,  apart  from  the  resentment  at  the  vigorous  denunciations  of 
their  own  alleged  wrong  doings,  on  the  part  of  Smith  and  the 
Church  authorities,  may  be  explained  much  of  the  bitterness 
manifested  by  Oliver  Cowdery,  Wilson  Law,  John  C.  Bennett, 
and  other  former  advisers  and  confidants  of  Smith.  He  seems 
to  have  described  the  situation  accurately  in  a  quotation  formerly 
given,  saying: 

"If  I   raised  you  to  be  my  equal,  and  then  attempted  to  oppress 

you,  would  you  not  be  indignant  and  try  to  rise  above  me,  as  did 

Oliver  Cowdery,  Peter  Whitmer,  and  many  others,  who  said  I  was  a 

fallen  prophet,  .  .  .  although  I  never  attempted  to  oppress  them,  but 

had  always  been  lifting  them  up  ?  " 

No  one  acquainted  with  the  states  of  mind,  and  the  variety  of 
expressions,  likely  to  be  found  in  a  strong  minded  person,  who 
believes  that  he  has  been  grievously  oppressed  by  some  associate 
of  his,  can  derive  a  vivid  conception  of  the  relations  of  Smith 
and  several  of  his  dissatisfied  coadjutors.  Nor,  in  making  such 
a  comparison,  need  we  be  actuated  by  any  motive  favorable  to 
Smith  or  his  claims :  we  need  desire  merely  to  derive  an  intelli- 
gent conception  of  the  personality  and  influence  of  this  man, 
about  whom  so  much  of  an  unfavorable  character  has  been  al- 


I 


PERSONAL  ASSOCIATIONS  loi 

leged,  and  whose  real  significance  to  history  is  still  a  puzzle. 
While  with  the  "  Traveler,"  as  above  quoted,  we  may  reasonably 
be  "  astonished  that  so  little  is  known  abroad  concerning  him," 
the  temptation  is  strong  to  attempt  explaining  him  as  a  man 
possessed  of  ordinary  good  character  and  actuated,  in  the  main, 
by  reasonable  motives,  rather  than  to  believe  him  so  nearly  im- 
possibly wicked  as  many  have  foolishly  sought  to  represent  him 
to  have  been.  We  may  claim,  at  least,  that  the  following  affi- 
davit of  Thomas  B.  Marsh,  once  president  of  the  Twelve  apos- 
;tles,  strongly  suggests  the  kind  of  disaffection  and  antagonism 
that  arises  from  some  exaggerated  sense  of  injustice  suffered. 
>He  states: 

"They  have  among  them  a  company,  considered  true  Mormons, 
called  the  Danites,  who  have  taken  an  oath  to  support  the  heads  of 
the  Church  in  all  things  that  they  say  or  do,  whether  right  or  wrong. 
Many,  however,  of  this  band  are  much  dissatisfied  with  this  oath,  as 
being  against  moral  and  religious  principles.  .  .  .  The  Prophet  in- 
culcates the  notion,  and  it  is  believed  by  every  true  Mormon,  that 
Smith's  prophesies  are  superior  to  the  laws  of  the  land.  I  have  heard 
the  Prophet  say  that  he  would  yet  tread  down  his  enemies,  and  walk 
over  their  dead  bodies;  and  if  he  was  not  let  alone,  he  would  be  a 
second  Mohammed  to  this  generation,  and  that  he  would  make  one 
gore  of  blood  from  the  Rocky  Mountains  to  the  Atlantic  ocean;  that 
like  Mohammed,  whose  motto  in  treating  for  peace  was,  'the  Alcoran 
or  the  sword.'  So  should  it  be  eventually  with  us  *  Joseph  Smith  or  the 
Sword.'    These  last  statements  were  made  during  the  last  summer." 

This  document  also  alleges  that  there  had  been  formed  a  "  De- 
struction Company,"  whose  duty  it  was  to  bum  several  towns, 
if  attacked  by  the  regularly  accredited  Missouri  mobs;  thus,  of 
course,  perpetrating  acts  of  a  distinctly  "  seditious  "  character. 
These  statements  were  also  supplemented  by  the  sworn  testimony 
of  Orson  Hyde,  who  alleged: 

"The  most  of  the  statements  in  the  foregoing  disclosure  I  know  to 

be  true;  the  remainder  I  believe  to  be  true." 

Whatever  truth  may  be  contained  in  any  of  the  allegations 
made  by  these  deponents,  who  swore  at  Richmond,  Mo.,  under 
date,  October  24,  1838,  the  conclusion  is  also  inevitable  that  they 
were  actuated  by  some  feelings  of  excessive  bitterness  against 
Smith,  rather  than  by  any  desire  to  "  right  wrongs  "  or  to  make 
"  reparation  "  of  any  description.  It  seems  clear,  also,  that  the 
very  bitterness  of  their  accusations  against  Smith  was  grounded 
in  some  hope  that  he  might  be,  in  some  way,  speedily  silenced 
through  the  agency  of  a  "  posse  of  indignant  citizens."  Such  a 
conclusion  seems  well  demonstrated  when  we  consider  the  con- 
ditions under  which  the  accusations  were  recorded.  Here  were 
two  men  who  had  occupied  prominent  positions  in  a  body  of 
people,  at  that  time  in  the  midst  of  serious  hardships,  involving 


103  THE  REAL  MORMONISM 

the  constant  jeopardy  of  property  and  life  to  numbers  of  their 
former  friends  and  associates,  together  with  their  wives  and 
children.  Yet,  for  some  consideration,  evidently  quite  other  than 
simple  ''  qualms  of  conscience,"  they  utter  an  affidavit  that,  as 
they  must  have  understood,  would  inflame  the  disorderly  ele- 
ments still  further  against  their  former  coreligionists,  even 
though  Smith  himself  might  have  been  destroyed  in  the  mean- 
time. It  is  interesting  to  note  that  the  incident  previously  quoted 
from  George  Q.  Cannon's  book,  in  which  Smith  withstood  cer- 
tain mobbers  dispatched  to  kill  him,  occurred  at  about  the  same 
period  in  which  Messrs.  Marsh  and  Hyde  thus  vented  their 
spleen,  to  the  evident  endangering  of  hundreds  of  defenseless 
women  and  children.  It  is  safe  to  assert  that  men  who  will  allow 
their  personal  grievances,  be  they  real  or  fancied,  to  carry  them 
to  any  such  brutal  length,  are  capable,  also,  of  lying  and  perjury. 

Nevertheless,  numerous  careless  and  prejudiced  writers,  ut- 
terly ignorant,  apparently,  of  these  conditions,  have  quoted  this 
iniquitous  document,  for  the  purpose  of  achieving  some  advan- 
tage against  the  Mormons,  either  political  or  sectarian.  Not- 
able among  these  was  the  late  Schuyler  Colfax,  who,  in  1870,  in- 
augurated an  anti-Mormon  movement  of  his  own,  and  quoted 
copiously  from  this  and  similar  documents. 

In  this  affidavit,  as  it  seems,  Messrs.  Hyde  and  Marsh  were 
the  originators  of  the  Danite  story,  which  is  so  vigorously  denied 
in  toto  by  Mormon  writers,  and  has  been  so  persistently  repeated 
and  exaggerated  by  their  opponents  and  detractors.  We  may 
pause  here  to  remark  that  there  may  have  been  a  society  among 
Mormons,*  or  anti-Mormons,  at  this  period,  which  was  called  or 
known  by  this  name.  There  is  no  respectable  evidence,  however, 
that  any  order  or  society  so  called  ever  entertained  the  bloody 
and  violent  designs  attributed  to  them.  If  they  did  so  organize 
and  act,  it  must  be  admitted,  in  view  of  the  facts  of  Mormon 
history,  that  they  were  an  extremely  ineffective  crowd  of  people, 
also  that,  as  a  "  menace "  of  any  description,  their  significance 
was  certainly  negligible.  The  truth  of  the  matter  might  reason- 
ably be  assumed  to  be  that  Marsh  and  Hyde  had  come  to  regard 
themselves  as  Smith's  tools,  in  a  sense  distasteful  to  themselves, 
and  hence,  on  refusal  to  obey  orders,  under  some  certain  condi- 
tion, they  had  withdrawn  from  the  Church  —  the  Twelve  Apos- 
tles, and  the  other  close  associates  of  the  President,  are  then 
represented  under  the  new  title  of  "  Danites," — people  sworn 
to  "support  the  heads  of  the  Church  .  .  .  right  or  wrong"; 
and  the  members  of  the  "band"  who  are  said  to  be  "  dissatis- 

*  For  explanation  of  the  persistent  stories  of  "  Danites,"  or  destroying  angels,  which 
are  circulated  by  opponents  of  the  Mormon  Church  and  system,  see  Appendix  I  at 
^e  back  of  the  present  volume. 


PERSONAL  ASSOCIATIONS  103 

fied  with  this  oath,"  are  composed,  at  the  time  of  speaking,  prin- 
cipally of  the  two  deponents.  Such,  at  least,  would  be  the  ver- 
dict on  many  persons,  presumably  situated  as  were  these  gentle- 
men. It  was  merely  one  of  numerous  examples  in  which  Smith's 
enemies  attempted  to  injure  him  in  any  available  manner.  It  is 
notable,  however,  that,  within  two  years,  Hyde,  who  swore  thus 
half-heartedly  to  Marsh's  allegations,  returned  to  the  Church 
asking  forgiveness,  forgetful,  apparently,  of  "  iniquitous  Danite 
oaths  '*  and  neo-Islamic  boasts.  The  conditions  were  not  en- 
tirely intolerable  to  him,  at  least,  nor  entirely  "against  [his] 
moral  and  religious  principles."  Marsh  also  renewed  his  mem- 
bership in  the  Church  in  July,  1857,  and,  removing  to  Ogden, 
Utah,  died  there  a  few  years  later,  apparently  fearless  of 
"  Danites."  The  whole  affair  was  concerned  solely  with  per- 
sonal animosity  at  the  start,  with  a  reconciliation  at  the  close. 

Even  the  brief  and  cursory  study  of  the  character  and  career 
of  Joseph  Smith,  for  which  there  is  space  in  such  a  book  as  the 
present  one,  must  be  sufficient  to  convince  the  candid  reader  that 
there  is  no  one  word  that  can  justly  describe  him.  In  his  writ- 
ings he  appears  as  an  honest  and  straightforward  man  of  large 
affairs  and  considerable  responsibilities,  who  is  fully  occupied 
in  carrying  out  his  chosen  mission,  although  harassed  constantly 
by  inability  to  bring  his  designs  to  perfection,  by  the  defection 
of  trusted  friends,  and  the  unflagging  assaults  of  his  constantly 
increasing  enemies.  Viewing  his  life  record  from  the  standpoint 
of  the  unprejudiced  observer,  who  asks  only  that  he  may  know 
the  real  truth  of  all  matters  involved.  Smith  is  no  less  a  sur- 
prise. His  ability  to  influence  his  associates  is  prodigious,  while 
his  success  in  imparting  the  spirit  of  his  own  convictions  to  other 
minds,  so  that  they  remain  of  vital  and  peculiar  import,  even  to 
the  present  day,  seventy  years  after  his  death,  betrays  an  actual 
inspiration  or  genius  that  cannot  but  excite  reverence.  The 
number  of  particulars  also,  in  which  he  seems  to  have  actually 
grappled  and  solved  the  problems  of  society,  rank  him  as  a 
thinker  and  teacher  of  importance  to  the  world,  who  cannot  be 
discredited  by  the  slanders  and  misrepresentations  of  his  almost 
unparalleled  enemies.  In  the  interest  of  simple  intelligence,  the 
name  of  Joseph  Smith  should  be  rescued  from  its  position  as  a 
synonym  for  all  that  is  disreputable,  since  it  is  quite  certain  that 
by  unjust  and  preposterous  misrepresentation  nearly  the  most 
interesting  American  of  the  nineteenth  century  has  been  ob- 
scured to  the  view  of  all  thinkers  and  students  outside  the  limit 
of  his  own  disciples.  That  he  is  destined  to  receive  justice  at 
last  is  certain,  and  that  late  award  may  involve  nothing  other 
than  according  him  a  high  place  among  thinkers,  leaders  and  re- 


104  THE  REAL  MORMONISM 

formers  —  one  also  who  brings  a  distinct  and  well-needed  mes- 
sage to  the  world  of  human  endeavor  —  if,  indeed,  his  own 
claims  to  a  special  mission  on  earth  from  a  Higher  Power  be 
not  widely  accepted,  to  the  advantage,  perhaps,  of  many  who  are 
now  suffering  in  oppression  and  ignorance,  or  staggering  into 
the  quagmire  of  infidelity. 


The  following  stanzas  by  Orson  F.  Whitney  give  a  fair  example 
of  the  inspiration  derived  by  his  disciples  from  the  record,  mem- 
ory and  teachings  of  Joseph  Smith. 

"Then  was  he  of  the  Mighty  —  one  of  those 
Descended  from  the  Empire  of  the  Sun, 
Adown  the  glowing  stairway  of  the  stars? 

"  I  saw  in  vision  such  a  one  descend, 
And  garb  him  in  a  guise  of  common  clay; 
His  glory  veiling  from  the  gaze  of  all, 
Who  wist  not  that  a  great  one  walked  with  men; 
Nor  knew  it  then  the  soul  incarnate  there, 
Betwixt  the  temporal  and  spirit  spheres 
So  dense  forgetfulness  doth  intervene; 
Yet  learned  his  truth  betimes  by  angel  tongues, 
By  voice  of  God,  by  heavenly  whisperings. 

"A  living  prophet  unto  dying  time, 
Heralding  the  Dispensation  of  the  End, 
When  Christ  once  more  His  vineyard  comes  to  prune, 
When  potent  weak  confound  the  puny  strong, 
Threshing  the  nations  by  the  Spirit's  power. 
Rending  the  kingdoms  with  a  word  of  flame; 
That  here  the  Father's  work  may  crown  the  Son's, 
And  earth  be  joined  a  holy  bride  to  heaven, 
A  queen  'mid  queens,  crowned,  throned,  and  glorified. 

"Wherefore  came  down  this  angel  of  the  dawn, 
In  strength  divine, 'a  stirring  role  to  play 
In  time's  tense  tragedy,  whose  acts  are  seven. 
His  part  to  fell  the  false,  replant  the  true, 
To  clear  away  the  wreckage  of  the  past. 
The  ashes  of  its  dead  and  dying  creeds, 
And  kindle  newly  on  earth's  ancient  shrine 
The  Light  that  points  to  Life  unerringly; 
Crowning  what  has  been  with  what  now  must  be; 
A  mighty  still  bespeaking  mightier." 

—  Blias:  an  Epic  of  the  Ages,  pp.  38-40. 


II 

THE  FRUITS  OF  MORMONISM 

"  If  ye  are  not  equal  in  earthly  things,  ye  cannot  be  equal  in  obtaining  heavenly 
things;  for  if  ye  will  that  I  give  unto  you  a  place  in  the  celestial  world,  you  must 
prepare  yourselves  by  doing  the  things  which  I  have  commanded  you  and  required  of 
you." — Doctrine  and  Covenants. 


I 


CHAPTER  IX 

MORMONISM    THE    EXPONENT    OF    EQUALITY    AND    FRATERNITY 

In  any  permanent  and  complete  scheme  for  the  rescue  of 
lankind  from  the  miseries  and  shortcomings  of  current  social 
conditions,  there  must  be  a  strong  and  permanent  organization 
on  a  basis  distinctly  religious  in  character.  The  failure  to  recog- 
nize this  fact  has  been  the  primary  source  of  weakness  in  virtu- 
ally all  proposed  systems  of  betterment  hitherto  promulgated. 
Indeed,  it  is  the  greatest  element  of  weakness  in  Socialism,  and 
other  radical  movements  of  the  present  day,  that  while  right- 
eously protesting  against  the  unjust  and  abominable  system,  now 
in  vogue,  they  attempt  to  found  a  vital  sense  of  the  inherent  and 
"inalienable  rights"  of  mankind — "life,  liberty  and  the  pursuit 
of  happiness  " —  upon  a  virtual  ignoring  of  the  religious  instinct, 
which  is  nearly  the  strongest  instinct  and  propension  in  human 
nature. 

When  we  consider  the  fact  that  the  persistence  of  real  morality 
depends  upon  a  vital  and  well-presented  religious  influence,  which 
shall  embody  the  element  of  a  "  superrational  sanction  for  con- 
duct," if  we  may  use  a  term  familiar  among  certain  sociological 
thinkers,  the  validity  of  the  appeal  for  consideration  of  an  or- 
ganization capable  of  embodying  these  desirable  qualities  is  self- 
evident.  The  earnestness  of  conviction  and  consecration  of  pur- 
pose evidently  manifested  among  adherents  of  the  most  futile 
sects  among  us  are  good,  so  far  as  they  go,  but  experience  has 
shown  that  they  are  sterile  of  vital  and  permanent  influence, 
unless  coupled  with  an  organism  capable  of  carrying  out  good  in- 
tentions and  promulgating  and  conserving  excellent  principles. 
This  is  the  reason  that  Christian  influence,  with  all  that  has 
been  claimed  for  it; in  past  centuries,  has  never  been  able  to 
neutralize  any  of  the  evils  of  human  society,  and  that  these  have 
been  mollified  solely  by  .the  growth  of  intelligence.  But  even 
intelligence  is  not  sufficient  to  reorganize  society,  and  create  pros- 
perity and  happiness,  where  haver-always  been  poverty  and  mis- 
£.ry.    The.  crying. need  is  for  a  practical  coordination  jof  .all  in- 


io8  THE  REAL  MORMONISM 

dividual  wills  into  a  concerted  effort  for  achieving  the  ends  of 
common  good. 

When  we  consider  the  fact  that  Christianity,  as  stated  by 
Christ  himself,  evidently  contemplates  the  regeneration  of  soci- 
ety and  the  establishment  of  "  justice,  mercy  and  truth,"  quite  as 
much  and  as  certainly  as  the  achievement  of  ''  salvation  "  in  the 
world  to  come,  we  begin  to  realize  that,  as  the  Saviour  said,  re- 
ligious teachers  are  to  be  known  "  by  their  fruits."  The  Roman 
Church  has  always  emphasized  the  blessings  to  be  earned  in  the 
next  world  by  suffering  in  this.  If  we  admit  that  this  is  the 
real  aim  of  Christianity,  as  it  is  with  Buddhism,  whose  influence 
has  probably  been  very  great  on  the  development  of  historic 
theologies,  through  the  imported  tendencies  embodied  in  Mani- 
cheanism,  and  other  old-time  *'  heresies,"  we  must  admit  that 
the  Catholic  Church  has  the  only  organization  on  earth  capable 
of  saving  mankind  from  the  "  world,  the  flesh  and  the  devil." 
The  organization  of  its  priesthood  and  of  the  numerous  orders 
of  "  religious,"  is  an  admirable  system  for  **  overcoming  the 
world  "  by  "  scourging  the  flesh  for  the  spirit's  good."  Indeed, 
in  this  aspect,  and  in  the  states  of  mind  that  sympathize  with 
this  theory  of  the  aim  and  functions  of  religion,  it  makes  an 
appeal  to  the  imagination  in  the  same  fashion  as  the  heathen 
Buddhism,  when  glorified  by  the  poet's  skill. 

The  trouble,  however,  with  Catholicism,  or,  indeed,  any  sys- 
tem holding  self-immolation  as  its  supreme  ideal,  and  advocating 
the  suppression  of  the  "  carnal  self  "  as  the  highest  duty  of  re- 
ligion, is  that  its  message  to  the  world  at  large,  including,  as  it 
does,  very  many  people  who  lack  enthusiasm  in  these  directions, 
must  necessarily  be  a  compromise,  very  ineffective  in  achieving 
an  order  of  righteousness  that  shall  be  able  to  do  away  with  the 
shortcomings  and  evils  of  society.  Such  a  system  must  take  the 
world  about  as  it  is,  and  be  satisfied  with  the  "  allegiance  "  of 
those  classes  of  people  who  may  not  be  brought  to  attempt  the 
achievement  of  its  highest  ideals  of  human  duty.  The  result 
was  that  the  Catholic  Church  divided  its  membership  into  two 
classes,  clergy  and  laity  —  which  is  to  say  those  devoted  to  the 
interests  of  rehgion  and  those  continuing  to  live  the  life  of 
humanity  in  the  world.  Thus,  even  the  persons  who  are  de- 
voted to  the  religious  life  are  divided  into  two  classes,  the  "  re- 
ligious," who  belong  to  the  "  orders  "  and  whose  occupation  con- 
sists in  fulfilling  the  higher  obligations  of  the  faith,  and  the 
"  secular,"  whose  duty  it  is  to  administer  to  the  needs  of  those  in 
the  world  life.  The  greatest  trouble  is  that  the  religious  life 
has  been  too  greatly  separated  from  the  life  of  the  world,  with 
the  result  that  much  "  worldliness,"   such  as   vanity,  cruelty. 


I 


EQUALITY  AND  FRATERNITY  109 


selfishness,  etc.,  has  been  tolerated  as  inevitable,  which  should 
have  been  made  clearly  and  definitely  inconsistent  with  Chris- 
tian profession  of  any  degree. 

The  "  reformers  "  of  mediaeval  Europe,  in  the  professed  behalf 
of  an  improved  order  of  righteousness,  produced  the  systems  in- 
cluded under  the  general  term  Protestantism.  Undoubtedly,  the 
aim  in  most  cases  was  to  bring  righteousness  down  to  the  basis  of 
every-day  life,  producing  a  statement  of  the  Gospel  suited  to  the 
needs  of  people  in  the  world,  and  thus  "  saving  "  mankind  more 
evidently  and  effectively  than  could  be  possible  with  a  system 
holding  an  ideal  of  "  overcoming  "  that  was  not  possible,  or  not 
acceptable,  to  all.  In  spite,  however,  of  the  stern  ideals  of  "  do- 
mestic asceticism,"  the  puritanism  and  separatism,  introduced 
by  some  of  the  foremost  of  the  "  reformers  "  these  leaders  com- 
mitted the  inexcusable  blunder  of  promulgating  the  noxious  doc- 
trine of  *'  salvation  by  faith  " —  which  to  say,  assent, —  which, 
although  a  mere  corollary  of  scholastic  theology,  has  always  been 
a  futile  compromise  with  antinomian  tendencies,  and  has  done 
immense  harm  in  rendering  practical  and  social  righteousness  in- 
operative. Protestantism,  quite  as  surely  as  Catholicism,  con- 
trives to  make  a  very  real  and  very  unfortunate  compromise 
between  the  demands  of  the  Gospel  and  the  natural  "  disabilities  " 
of  the  human  soul  in  the  state  of  worldly  existence. 

In  the  case  of  the  Catholic  Church  a  splendidly  conceived  or- 
ganization is  devoted  solely  to  the  end  of  "  overcoming "  the 
world,  rather  than  subjecting  it  to  the  good  of  God's  people:  in 
the  case  of  Protestantism,  organization  is  largely  ignored,  and 
practical  righteousness  largely  neutralized  by  theories  of  the 
most  indefensible  variety. 

In  the  meantime,  at  the  end  of  eighteen  centuries  of  Christian 
domination,  we  have  social  and  moral  "  problems  "  that  should 
never  have  emerged  in  a  world,  dominated,  in  any  sense,  by  in- 
telligence, and  our  traditional  sects  have  no  answers  and  no  solu- 
tions. Indeed,  the  majority  of  people  who  are  attempting  to 
grapple  with  these  conditions  are  outside  of  all  sects,  often  out- 
side of  religion  in  any  conscious  or  professing  sense.  It  is  evi- 
dent, therefore,  that  there  is  room  for  some  system  of  religion 
that  shall  follow  Catholicism  in  an  effective  organization,  and 
shall  follow  Protestantism  in  emphasizing  the  need  of  salvation 
for  the  individual  living  in  the  natural  conditions  of  life ;  which, 
in  short,  shall  gauge  the  efficiency  of  religious  influence  by  its 
ability  to  save  mankind  in  the  flesh,  socially,  as  well  as  individ- 
ually. 

One  might  be  excused  for  believing  that  some  such  ideal  existed 
in  the  mind  of  the  founder  of  Mormonism.     One  might  also  claim 


no  THE  REAL  MORMONISM 

toleration  for  the  opinion  that  the  ultimate  effective  reorganiza- 
tion of  religion  and  society  will  be  a  system  so  closely  like  Mor- 
monism  that  the  student  of  history  could  be  excused  for  suspect- 
ing some  relation  between  the  two.  It  is  certain  that  the  majority 
of  the  Mormon  principles  of  organization  are  destined  to  perma- 
nance  and  wide  acceptation.  In  one  point,  however,  there  can  be 
no  doubt  of  the  ultimate  validity  of  the  Mormon  theory  of  relig- 
ious organization  —  and  in  this  it  is  the  only  valid  antithesis  of 
Catholicism  —  and  this  is  in  the  principle  that  the  priesthood 
should  be  held  by  all  worthy  men  of  mature  years.  This  theory 
makes  religion  the  immediate  concern  of  every  individual,  who, 
in  the  closely  compacted  society  based  upon  his  religion,  owes 
his  standing  and  significance  solely  to  his  religious  activity.  On 
such  a  theory,  society  cannot  fail  to  achieve  some  very  real 
order  of  regeneration  in  the  fact  that  it  is,  in  the  words  of  the 
ancient  Apostle,  a  kingdom  of  "  priests  unto  God."  This  theory 
is,  in  fact,  the  only  one  that  can  be  reasonably  expected  to  bring 
religion  into  immediate  relation  with  the  affairs  of  everyday 
life,  enabling  it  to  persist  as  an  affair  of  daily  living,  rather  than 
an  occupation  for  Sundays  and  holy  days,  quite  incidental  to 
the  business  of  the  world  of  ordinary  existence. 

From  the  point  of  view  of  common  helpfulness  and  efficiency, 
also,  this  arrangement  possesses  inestimable  value  to  the  com- 
munity, as  the  most  convenient  means  ever  devised  for  keeping 
life  in  touch  with  religion  and  keeping  religion  in  touch  with 
life.  The  difficulty  hitherto  has  been  that  any  such  synthesis 
has  been  impossible  in  by  far  the  greater  majority  of  cases,  par- 
ticularly in  Protestant  churches,  which  maintain  the  absurd  tra- 
dition, a  fragment  of  the  rejected  Catholic  institutions,  of  hav- 
ing separate  professional  ministers  or  preachers.  These  men, 
who  are  neither  priests  in  the  sacerdotalist  sense,  nor  any  longer 
"  clergy,"  or  dispensers  of  learning,  nor  yet  practical  partici- 
pants in  the  life  of  the  community,  form  a  class  by  themselves, 
with  their  peculiarly  biased  and  defective  views  of  life,  and  the 
inevitable  shortcomings  of  character  always  found  in  them,  serv- 
ing no  end  more  effectively  than  to  divorce  religious  interest  and 
effort  from  the  sympathy  and  participation  of  the  large  majority 
of  really  manly  men.  With  the  elimination  of  the  type  of  per- 
son, which,  like  the  Protestant  preacher,  has  well  been  described 
as  of  a  "  third  sex,"  it  is  fairly  evident  that  religion  is  freed  from 
one  of  its  most  harmful  impediments.  The  followers  of  George 
Fox,  forming  the  Society  of  Friends,  or  Quakers,  adhered  to 
this  excellent  first  step  in  abolishing  artificial  classes,  which  is  one 
of  the  most  aggravated  evils  of  human  society,  whether  ex- 
pressed in  the  distinction  between  '*  clergy  "  (so  called)  and  laity. 


I  _.„...„  ,„ 

^Hr  between  aristocrats  and  commoners.  The  Mormons  are  not, 
^^erefore,  the  first  body  of  people  to  recognize  and  protest  against 
the  evils  and  incumbrances  of  usual  religious  and  social  or- 
ganizations. They  deserve  credit,  however,  for  contriving  in  a 
thoroughly  practical  manner  to  achieve  some  degree  of  real 
equality  in  human  society  by  first  place  making  all  men  members 
of  the  ministerial  body,  and  affording  means  for  their  training  in 
the  practical  duties  required  of  those  who  shall  be  devoted  to 
the  life  of  religion  and  brotherhood. 

In  an  additional  sense  the  Mormon  Church  organization  is 
of  the  utmost  significance  sociologically.  It  is  the  first  and  only 
entirely  practical  mechanism  yet  devised  for  reorganizing  society 
on  the  basis  of  that  equality  and  brotherhood,  which  have  been 
the  dreams  of  sociologists,  moralists  and  the  saner  class  of  re- 
ligious thinkers  for  over  a  century.  That  the  attainment  of  these 
ends  was  the  deliberate  aim  of  the  founder  of  Mormonism  there 
can  be  no  doubt.  That  their  perpetuation  has  been  nearly  the 
foremost  interest  of  his  followers  is  equally  clear.  The  follow- 
ing is  a  fair  sample  of  the  enthusiasm  with  which  this  ideal  is 
held  among  them: 

"  One  great  lesson  that  has  been  set  before  intelligent  men  and  women 
of  today  is  that  of  corelation  of  economics.  Moreover,  to  cooperate  in 
all  matters  affecting  economic  and  social  life  is  the  demand  of  the  ages ; 
if  we  have  learned  anything  from  the  pages  of  history,  it  is  that  there 
should  be  no  classes  and  masses,  no  capital  and  labor  in  the  ideal  life, 
no  sex  divisions  in  civil  and  social  affairs.  It  is  true  that  there  are 
varying  grades  of  capacity  in  men,  and  this  will  always  lead  to  a  division 
or  classification.  .  .  .  But  the  statesman  who  looks  toward  the  altruism 
of  the  future  will  teach  the  strong  that  their  strength  is  given  its  high- 
est expression  in  protecting  the  weak;  and  that  superiority  of  intellect 
is  a  menace  to  civilization,  unless  it  carries  with  it  the  cornpelling  force 
to  use  all  superior  advantages  for  the  uplifting  of  the  inferior  and  ignoT- 
2Lnt"-^Susa  Young  Gates,  {History  of  the  Y.  L.  M.  /.  A.,  p.  220). 

Nor  did  the  Mormon  prophet  and  his  associates  confine  their 
efforts  to  achieve  the  noble  ends  recommended  above  to  any  vain 
preachments,  without  vital  interest  to  back  them,  which  have 
been  only  too  sadly  familiar  throughout  Christian  history.  He 
provided  the  organization  for  the  realization  of  his  ideals,  and 
gave  precise  and  unmistakable  directions  for  its  practical  oper- 
ation. 

"  One  of  the  first  steps  taken  by  the  Prophet,  after  the  establishment  of 
headquarters  at  Kirtland,  was  the  institution  of  what  Latter-day  Saints 
call  the  'United  Order,'  a  religio-social  system,  communal  in  its  char- 
acter, designed  to  abolish  poverty,  monopoly,  and  kindred  evils,  and  to 
bring  about  unity  and  equality  in  temporal  and  spiritual  things.  It  re- 
quired the  consecration  to  the  Church,  by  its  members,  of  all  their  proper- 
ties, and  the  subsequent  distribution  to  those  members,  by  the  Church, 
of  what  were  termed  '  stewardships/  E^ch  holder  of  a  stewardship  — 
which  might  be  the  same  farm,  workshop,  store,  or  factory  that  this  same 


112  THE  REAL  MORMONISM 

person  had  *  consecrated ' —  was  expected  to  manage  it  thereafter  in  the 
interest  of  the  whole  community ;  all  his  gains  reverting  to  the  common 
fund,  from  which  he  would  derive  a  sufficient  support  for  himself  and 
those  dependent  upon  him.  The  Bishops,  being  the  temporal  officers  of 
the  Church,  received  the  consecration  of  those  properties,  and  also  as- 
signed the  stewardships.  .  .  . 

"  The  United  Order,  the  Prophet  declared,  was  the  same  ancient  sys- 
tem that  sanctified  the  City  of  Enoch ;  the  same  also  that  the  Apostles  set 
up  at  Jerusalem  (Acts  4:32-35)  ;  and  that  the  Nephites  instituted  upon 
this  land,  according  to  the  Book  of  Mormon  (IV,  Nephi,  i  :3).  The  pur- 
pose in  view,  by  the  Latter-day  Saints,  was  the  building  up  of  Zion,  the 
New  Jerusalem;  an  event  to  be  preceded  by  the  gathering  of  scattered 
Israel,  and  preparatory  to  the  second  coming  of  the  Saviour  and  the  ad- 
vent of  the  Millennium. 

"  I  need  not  weary  the  reader  with  a  recital  of  details  as  to  how  the 
Church  grew  and  prospered  along  the  lines  laid  down  by  the  United  Or- 
der, which  was  established  at  Kirtland,  Ohio,  and  at  Independence,  Mis- 
souri, during  the  year  1831.  Suffice  it,  that  under  the  auspices  of  this 
beneficent  system  the  Gospel  was  preached  on  both  hemispheres  and  the 
gathering  of  Latter-day  Israel  begun.  Lands  were  purchased  in  both  the 
States  named;  and  in  Jackson  County,  Missouri,  the  foundations  of  the 
City  of  Zion  were  laid.  A  Temple  was  reared  at  Kirtland,  schools  were 
opened,  mercantile  and  publishing  houses  instituted,  and  industrial  enter- 
prises of  various  kinds  conducted  by  the  Church;  the  object  being  to 
build  up  Zion  spiritually  and  temporally,  and  prepare  for  the  literal  com- 
ing of  the  King  of  Kings  to  reign  upon  the  earth  a  thousand  years.  In 
this  cause,  the  Apostles  as  well  as  the  Bishops  performed  a  variety  of  la- 
bors, not  only  preaching  the  Gospel  and  administering  its  sacred  ordi- 
nances, but  also  traveling  to  collect  money  and  other  means  for  the 
erection  of  the  Kirtland  Temple  and  the  purchase  of  lands  in  Missouri. 

"  The  United  Order  was  not  perpetuated  at  that  time,  and  the  reason 
was  two-fold.  Primarily  it  was  due  to  the  innate  selfishness  of  human 
nature,  which  prevented  the  Saints,  as  a  whole,  from  entering  into  the 
work  of  *  redeeming  Zion '  with  sufficient  zeal  and  singleness  of  purpose. 
But  another  cause,  equally  cogent,  was  the  cruel  mobbings  and  drivings 
of  our  people,  by  those  who  did  not  comprehend  their  real  motives,  or 
maliciously  made  evil  out  of  their  pure  and  philanthropic  designs.  The 
*  Mormon '  colony  which  settled  in  Jackson  County,  Missouri,  was  vio- 
lently expelled  from  that  part  in  the  autumn  of  1833 ;  and  in  i837'-39  the 
main  body  of  the  Church  was  compelled  to  leave  Ohio,  and  migrated  to 
Missouri." — Joseph  F.  Smith,  "The  Truth  about  Mormonism"  {Out 
West,  Sept.,  1905,  pp.  244-245.) 

That  the  United  Order,  or  Order  of  Enoch,  was  a  real  order, 
in  the  accepted  sense  of  the  term,  involving  a  consecration  of  life 
and  effort,  as  well  as  of  property,  and  that,  also,  a  religious 
consecration  in  the  best  and  highest  sense,  is  amply  shown  by  the 
rules  of  the  order,  which  are  still  to  be  seen  in  Mormon  house- 
holds. The  following  rules  governed  the  life  of  all  members  of 
this  order: 

RULES  FOR  MEMBERS  OF  THE  UNITED  ORDER. 
"  We  will  not  take  the  name  of  the  Deity  in  vain,  nor  speak  lightly  of 
His  character  or  of  sacred  things. 

"  We  will  pray  with  our  families  morning  and  evening,  and  also  at- 
tend to  secret  prayer. 


EQUALITY  AND  FRATERNITY  113 

"We  will  observe  and  keep  the  Word  of  Wisdom  according  to  the 
spirit  and  meaning  thereof.  .  ,    ^      ,  .    ,  ^     cr    .■  i      *. 

"  We  will  treat  our  families  with  due  kindness  and  affection,  and  set 
before  them  an  example  worthy  of  imitation.  In  our  f aniilies  and  inter- 
course with  all  persons,  we  will  refrain  from  being  contentious  or  quarrel- 
some, and  we  will  cease  to  speak  evil  of  each  other,  and  will  culti- 
vate a  spirit  of  charity  towards  all.  We  consider  it  our  duty  to 
keep  from  acting  selfishly  or  from  covetous  motives,  and  will  seek  the 
interest  of  each  other  and  the  salvation  of  all  mankind. 

"  We  will  observe  personal  cleanliness  and  preserve  ourselves  in  all 
chastity  by  refraining  from  adultery,  whoredom  and  lust.  We  will  also 
discountenance  and  refrain  from  all  vulgar  and  obscene  language  or  con- 
duct. .  ,  .  , 

"  We  will  observe  the  Sabbath  day  to  keep  it  holy,  in  accordance  with 
the  Revelations, 

That  which  is  committed  to  our  care  we  will  not  appropriate  to  our 
own  use. 

"That  which  we  borrow  we  will  return  according  to  promise,  and 
that  which  we  find  we  will  not  appropriate  to  our  own  use,  but  seek  to 
return  it  to  its  proper  owner. 

"  We  will,  as  soon  as  possible,  cancel  all  individual  indebtedness  con- 
tracted prior  to  our  uniting  with  the  Order,  and,  when  once  fully  iden- 
tified with  said  Order,  will  contract  no  debts  contrary  to  the  wishes  of  the 
Board  of  Directors. 

"  We  will  patronize  our  brethren  who  are  in  the  Order. 

"In  our  apparel  and  deportment  we  will  not  pattern  after  nor  en- 
courage foolish  and  extravagant  fashions,  and  will  cease  to  import  or  buv 
from  abroad  any  article  which  can  be  reasonably  dispensed  with,  or  which 
can  be  produced  by  combination  of  home  labor.  We  will  foster  and  en- 
courage the  producing  and  manufacturing  of  all  articles  needful  for  our 
consumption  as  fast  as  our  circumstances  will  permit. 

"  We  will  be  simple  in  our  dress  and  manner  of  living,  using  proper 
economy  and  prudence  in  the  management  of  all  intrusted  to  our  care. 

"  We  will  combine  our  labor  for  mutual  benefit,  sustain  without  faith, 
prayers,  and  works  those  whom  we  have  elected  to  take  the  management 
of  the  different  departments  of  the  Order,  and  be  subject  to  them  in 
their  official  capacity,  refraining  from  a  spirit  of  fault-finding. 

"  We  will  honestly  and  diligently  labor  and  devote  ourselves  and  all 
we  have  to  the  Order  and  to  the  building  up  of  the  Kingdom  of  God." 

The  authoritative  revelations  setting  forth  the  principles  of 
the  United  Order  contain  the  following  significant  passages: 

"And  you  are  to  be  equal,  or  in  other  words,  you  are  to  have  equal 
claims  on  the  properties,  for  the  benefit  of  managing  the  concerns  of  your 
stewardships,  every  man  according  to  his  wants  and  his  needs,  inasmuch 
as  his  wants  are  just;  and  all  this  for  the  benefit  of  the  Church  of  the 
living  God,  that  every  man  may  improve  upon  his  talent,  that  every  man 
may  gain  other  talents,  yea,  even  an  hundred  fold,  to  be  cast  into  the 
Lord's  storehouse,  to  become  the  common  property  of  the  whole  church, 
every  man  seeking  the  interest  of  his  neighbor,  and  doing  all  things  with 
an  eye  single  to  the  glory  of  God.  This  order  I  have  appointed  to  be  an 
everlasting  order  unto  you,  and  unto  your  successors,  inasmuch  as  ye  sin 
not." — Doctrine  and  Covenants,  IxXxii.  17-20. 

"  Listen  to  the  counsel  of  him  who  has  ordained  you  from  on  high,  who 
shall  speak  in  your  ears  the  words  of  wisdom,  that  salvation  may  be  unto 
you  in  that  thing  which  you  have  presented  before  me,  saith  the  Lord 


I 


114  THE  REAL  MORMONISM 

God ;  For  verily  I  say  unto  you,  the  time  has  come,  and  is  now  at  hand ; 
and  behold,  and  lo,  it  must  needs  be  that  there  be  an  organization  of  my 
people,  in  regulating  and  establishing  the  affairs  of  the  storehouse  for  the 
poor  of  my  people,  both  in  this  place  (Hiram,  Ohio)  and  in  the  land  of 
Zion,  .  .  .  for  a  permanent  and  everlasting  establishment  and  order  unto 
my  church,  to  advance  the  cause,  which  ye  have  espoused  to  the  salvation 
of  man,  and  to  the  glory  of  your  Father  who  is  in  heaven,  that  you  may 
be  equal  in  the  bands  of  heavenly  things ;  yea,  and  earthly  things  also,  for 
the  obtaining  of  heavenly  things ;  for  if  ye  are  not  equal  in  earthly  things, 
ye  cannot  he  equal  in  obtaining  heavenly  things;  for  if  you  will  that  I 
give  unto  you  a  place  in  the  celestial  world,  you  must  prepare  yourselves 
by  doing  the  things  which  I  have  commanded  you  and  required  of  you. 

"  And  now,  verily  thus  saith  the  Lord,  it  is  expedient  that  all  thmgs  be 
done  unto  my  glory,  by  you  who  are  joined  together  in  this  order;  .  .  . 
wherefore  a  commandment  I  give  unto  you,  to  prepare  and  organize  your- 
selves by  a  bond  or  everlasting  covenant  that  cannot  be  broken.  And  he 
who  breaketh  it  shall  lose  his  office  and  standing  in  the  church,  and  shall 
be  delivered  over  to  the  buffetings  of  Satan  until  the  day  of  redemption. 
Behold,  this  is  the  preparation  wherewith  I  prepare  you,  and  the  founda- 
tion, and  the  ensample  which  I  give  unto  you,  whereby  you  may  accom- 
plish the  commandments  which  are  given  you,  that  through  my  providence, 
notwithstanding  the  tribulation  which  shall  descend  upon  you,  that  the 
church  may  stand  independent  above  all  other  creatures  beneath  the  celes- 
tial world. —  Ibid.,  Ixxviii.  1-3,  4-8,  11-14. 

"  Verily  I  say  unto  you,  my  friends,  I  give  unto  you  counsel,  and  a  com- 
mandment, concerning  all  the  properties  which  belong  to  the  order  which 
I  commanded  to  be  organized  and  established,  to  be  an  united  order,  and 
an  everlasting  order  for  the  benefit  of  my  church,  and  for  the  salvation 
of  men  until  I  come,  with  promise  immutable  and  unchangeable,  that  in- 
asmuch as  those  whom  I  commanded  were  faithful  they  should  be  blessed 
with  a  multiplicity  of  blessings.  ...  I,  the  Lord,  stretched  out  the 
heavens,  and  built  the  earth  as  a  very  handy  work,  and  all  things  therein 
are  mine:  and  it  is  my  purpose  to  provide  for  my  saints,  for  all  things 
are  mine ;  but  it  must  needs  be  done  in  mine  own  way ;  and  behold  this  is 
the  way  that  I,  the  Lord,  have  decreed  to  provide  for  my  saints,  that  the 
poor  shall  be  exalted,  in  that  the  rich  are  made  low  —  for  the  earth  is  full, 
and  there  is  enough  and  to  spare;  yea,  I  prepared  all  things,  and  have 
given  unto  the  children  of  men  to  be  agents  unto  themselves.  Therefore, 
if  any  man  shall  take  of  the  abundance  which  I  have  made,  and  impart  not 
his  portion,  according  to  the  law  of  my  gospel,  unto  the  poor  and  the 
needy,  he  shall,  with  the  wicked,  lift  up  his  eyes  in  hell,  being  in  torment. 
(Here  follow  specifications  of  various  properties,  to  which  certain  persons, 
such  as  Rigdon,  Martin  Harris,  Frederick  G.  Williams,  Oliver  Cowdery, 
and  others,  are  appointed  by  name  as  stewards.)  .  .  .  And  again,  a  com- 
mandment I  give  unto  you  concerning  your  stewardship  which  I  have 
appointed  unto  you.  Behold,  all  these  properties  are  mine,  or  less  your 
faith  is  vain,  .  .  .  and  if  the  properties  are  mine,  then  ye  are  stewards, 
otherwise  ye  are  no  stewards.  But,  verily  I  say  unto  you,  I  have  ap- 
pointed unto  you  to  be  stewards  over  mine  house,  even  stewards  in- 
deed. .  .  .  For  the  purpose  of  building  up  my  church  and  kingdom  on 
earth,  and  to  prepare  my  people  for  the  time  when  I  shall  dwell  with 
them,  which  is  nigh  at  hand.  And  ye  shall  prepare  for  yourselves  a  treas- 
ury, and  consecrate  it  unto  my  name;  and  ye  shall  appoint  one  among 
you  to  keep  the  treasury,  and  he  shall  be  ordained  unto  this  blessing; 
and  there  shall  be  a  seal  upon  the  treasury,  and  all  the  sacred  things  shall 
be  delivered  into  the  treasury,  and  no  man  among  you  shall  call  it  his 


EQUALITY  AND  FRATERNITY  115 

own,  or  any  part  of  it,  for  it  shall  belong  to  you  all  with  one  accord ;  and 
I  give  it  unto  you  from  this  very  hour :  and  now  see  to  it,  that  ye  go  to 
and  make  use  of  the  stewardship  which  I  have  appointed  unto  you.  .  .  . 
And  again,  there  shall  be  another  treasury  prepared,  and  a  treasurer  ap- 
pointed to  keep  the  treasury,  and  a  seal  shall  be  placed  upon  it;  and 
all  moneys  that  you  receive  in  your  stewardships,  by  improving  upon 
the  properties  which  I  have  appointed  unto  you,  in  houses,  or  in  lands, 
or  in  cattle,  .  .  .  shall  be  cast  into  the  treasury  as  you  receive 
moneys,  .  .  .  and  let  not  any  man  among  you  say  that  it  is  his  own,  for  it 
shall  not  be  called  his,  nor  any  part  of  it;  and  there  shall  not  any  part 
of  it  be  used,  or  taken  out  of  the  treasury,  only  by  the  voice  and  common 
consent  of  the  order.  And  this  shall  be  the  voice  and  common  consent  of 
the  order ;  that  any  man  among  you,  say  unto  the  treasurer,  I  have  need  of 
this  to  help  me  in  my  stewardship;  if  it  be  five  talents  (dollars),  or,  if  it 
be  ten  talents  (dollars),  or  twenty,  or  fifty,  or  an  hundred,  the  treasurer 
shall  give  unto  him  the  sum  which  he  requires,  to  help  him  in  his  steward- 
ship, until  he  be  found  a  transgressor,  and  it  is  manifest  before  the  coun- 
cil of  the  order  plainly,  that  he  is  an  unfaithful  and  an  unwise  steward ; 
but  so  long  as  he  is  in  full  fellowship,  and  is  faithful,  and  wise  in  his 
stewardship,  this  shall  be  his  token  unto  the  treasurer,  that  the  treasurer 
shall  not  withhold.  But  in  case  of  transgression,  the  treasurer  shall  be 
subject  unto  the  council  and  voice  of  the  order.  ...  I  give  you  this  priv- 
ilege, this  once,  and  behold,  if  you  proceed  to  do  the  things  which  I  have 
laid  before  you,  according  to  my  commandments,  all  these  things  are 
mine,  and  ye  are  my  stewards,  and  the  master  will  not  suffer  his  house 
to  be  broken  up.  Even  so.  Amen. —  Ibid.,  civ.  1-2,  14-18,  54-63,  67,  68, 
70-76,  86. 

The  wording  of  these  revelations  is  significant  of  the  actual 
objects  for  which  the  United  Order  was  originally  founded;  and 
they  embody  a  distinct  lesson  and  example  to  all  theoretical 
sociologists,  who  are  earnestly  desirous  of  achieving  the  lasting 
good  of  their  fellow-men.  The  abolition  of  poverty  is  not  merely 
a  benevolent  aim,  but  a  high  religious  duty,  since  **  if  ye  are  not 
equal  in  earthly  things,  ye  cannot  be  equal  in  obtaining  heavenly 
things."  Nor  can  a  candid  mind  fail  to  discern  the  fact  a  high 
and  noble  ideal  of  the  responsibility  and  duty  of  wealth  is  ac- 
tually presented.  Our  so-called  "  benevolence  '*  and  voluntary 
"  charity  "  are  to  be  discountenanced  as  unacceptable  to  God,  just 
as  they  are  ineffective  in  permanently  benefitting  humanity:  a 
man's  duties  in  this  respect  are  precisely  defined  —  if  he  "  impart 
not  his  portion,  according  to  the  law  of  my  gospel,  unto  the  poor 
and  the  needy,"  his  portion  shall  be  that  of  Dives  in  Christ's 
parable.     The  commands  of  Christ  are  to  be  accepted  literally. 

The  discontinuance  of  the  United  Order  as  a  practical  reality 
was  not  an  abrogation,  nor  yet  a  substitution  of  a  less  stringent 
law  of  consecration.  It  will,  as  the  Mormons  confidently  be- 
lieve, be  restored  again  on  earth  at  the  coming  of  Christ  and  the 
setting-up  of  Zion,  and  remain  thereafter  as  an  everlasting  cove- 
nant. The  law  of  tithing,  or  consecration  of  the  tenth  of  the 
increase  for  the  support  of  the  Church  and  the  care  of  the  poor 


•Il6  THE  REAL  MORMONISM 

is   now   the   accepted  practice.    The  revelation  establishing  it 

reads  as  follows : 

"  Verily,  thus  saith  the  Lord,  I  require  all  their  [the  people's]  surplus 
property  to  be  put  into  the  hands  of  the  bishop  of  my  church  of  Zion, 
for  the  building  of  mine  house,  and  for  the  laying  of  the  foundation  of 
Zion  and  for  the  Priesthood,  and  for  the  debts  of  the  Presidency  of  my 
church;  and  this  shall  be  the  beginning  of  the  tithing  of  my  people;  and 
after  that,  those  who  have  thus  been  tithed,  shall  pay  one-tenth  of  all 
their  interest  annually;  and  this  shall  be  a  standing  law  unto  them  for 
ever,  for  my  holy  Priesthood,  saith  the  Lord.  Verily  I  say  unto  you,  it 
shall  come  to  pass  that  all  those  who  gather  unto  the  land  of  Zion  shall 
be  tithed  of  their  surplus  properties,  and  shall  observe  this  law,  or  they 
shall  not  be  found  worthy  to  abide  among  you.  And  I  say  unto  you, 
if  my  people  observe  not  this  law,  to  keep  it  holy,  and  by  this  law  sanctify 
the  land  of  Zion  unto  me,  that  my  statutes  and  my  judgments  may  be 
kept  thereon,  that  it  may  be  most  holy,  behold,  verily  I  say  unto  you, 
it  shall  not  be  a  land  of  Zion  unto  you;  and  this  shall  be  an  ensample 
unto  all  the  Stakes  of  Zion." — Doctrine  and  Covenants,  cxix.  1-7. 

On  the  basis  of  this  command,  the  practice  of  tithing  has 
always  been  faithfully  upheld  among  the  Mormons,  and  has  pro- 
vided the  most  important  source  of  income  for  their  Church  and 
its  activities.  Of  course,  the  practice  has  drawn  the  criticism 
of  enemies  of  the  Church,  who  have  indulged  their  spleen  in 
various  false  representations  to  the  effect  that  the  custom  is 
maintained  by  forced  levies,  extortion  and  threats  of  various 
orders.  The  disingenuousness  of  such  accusations  must  be  evi- 
dent on  honest  investigation  of  the  matter;  since,  whether  one 
agrees  with  the  teachings  of  the  Mormon  Church,  or  not,  there 
is  positively  no  reason  for  the  assumption  that  there  are  not 
very  many  people  who  do  not  heartily  and  intelligently  endorse 
them  all.  Furthermore,  only  a  moment's  reflection  is  necessary 
to  demonstrate  the  fact  that  wholesale  extortion  practiced  on  a 
body  of  people,  who  are  in  all  other  matters  quite  independent 
and  highly  individualized,  is  by  no  means  the  easy  and  cheerful 
task  that  our  would-be  informants  would  have  to  suppose. 

The  practice  of  tithing  is  an  ancient  one,  having  been  en- 
joined in  the  Law  of  Israel  (Lev.  xxvii:3o;  Num.  xviii:2i; 
Deut.  xiv:23,  28;  Neh.  x:37-38)  ;  practiced  by  the  ancient  patri- 
archs (Gen.  xiv:2o;  Heb.  vii:5-6;  Gen.  xxviii:22),  and  men- 
tioned as  an  institution  in  both  Old  and  New  Testaments  (Prov. 
iii.  9;  Mai.  iii:8;  II  Chron.  xxxi:5;  Amos  lv:4;  Matt.  xxiii:23; 
Luke  xviii:i2).  On  several  occasions  the  practice  has  been  at- 
tempted as  a  means  for  raising  funds  for  the  support  of  Chris- 
tian churches,  exampled,  notably,  by  the  forced  levies  formerly 
in  vogue  in  Great  Britain  for  the  support  of  the  established 
church.  Latterly,  some  of  our  larger  sects,  such  as  the  Metho- 
dists, have  carefully  considered  a  restoration  of  the  practice,  if 
possible,  in  order  to  replenish  the  coffers,  none  too  well  filled  by 


EQUALITY  AND  FRATERNITY  117 

offerings,  voluntary  as  to  amount  as  well  as  to  production.  The 
fact  remains,  however,  that  the  Latter-day  Saints,  alone  among 
all  bodies  professing  the  Christian  heritage,  have  been  able  to 
maintain  the  institution  with  even  approximate  success.  It  is 
scarcely  remarkable,  although  by  no  means  conclusive,  that  op- 
ponents of  this  Church  should  allege  oppression  and  extortion: 
their  own  experiences  and  capabilities  in  this  matter  have  not 
been  of  the  most  reassuring  description.  It  is  very  probable, 
however,  that  no  other  body  whatever  could  possibly  duplicate 
the  Mormon  record,  since  this,  like  other  things  achieved  by 
this  Church,  seems  to  be  a  real  corollary  to  their  splendid  and 
vital  organization,  which,  if  it  does  nothing  else,  begets  a  strong 
sense  of  solidarity  among  its  people. 

But  the  Latter-day  Saints  obey  a  broader  law  of  tithing  and 
consecration  than  applies  even  to  the  tithing  of  their  material 
increase.  As  if  to  demonstrate  the  superior  quality  of  their 
enthusiasm  and  devotion  at  every  point,  these  people  dedicate 
their  time,  labors  and  talents  to  the  service  of  their  Church, 
very  often  with  no  hope  or  expectation  of  remuneration,  or 
with  only  meagre  returns  in  any  material  sense.  As  already 
noted,  none  of  their  officers  receive  salaries  for  their  services  to 
the  Church,  except  in  the  event  that  their  entire  time  is  devoted 
to  the  work.  The  ward  bishops  are  entitled  to  a  small  per- 
centage of  the  tithes  and  other  funds  collected  by  them,  and 
very  frequently  forego  even  this  consideration.  Perhaps  nearly 
the  most  conspicuous  example  of  devoted  time  and  services  is  to 
be  found  in  the  missionary  work,  usually  done  by  the  younger 
men  of  the  Church,  who  pay  their  own  way  to  their  mission 
fields,  be  they  at  home  or  abroad,  and  depend  upon  the  voluntary 
assistance  of  friends  in  the  field,  or,  upon  the  assistance  of  their 
families  or  friends  at  home.  The  Church  funds  pay  only  their 
return  fares  homeward.  It  is,  indeed,  a  strong  evidence  of  the 
vitality  of  this  form  of  faith  that  young  men  from  every  walk 
of  life  should  thus  cheerfully  devote  several  years  of  their  time, 
usually  in  their  growing  years,  to  a  work  devoid  of  promise  or 
possibility  of  material  returns.  While  all  other  Christian 
bodies,  with  the  sole  exception  of  the  Roman  Catholic,  suffer 
from  a  dearth  either  of  funds  or  of  volunteers  for  missionary 
work,  and  are  obliged  to  guarantee  the  livelihoods  of  their  mis- 
sionaries, both  at  home  and  abroad,  the  spread  of  the  Mormon 
gospel  is  entirely  in  the  hands  of  people  who  go  out,  literally 
without  "  purse  or  scrip." 

Voluntary  and  unremunerated  work,  however,  is  by  no  means 
confined  to  the  mission  field.  It  is  regularly  and  cheerfully 
given,  whenever  required,  as,  for  example,  in  the  building  of 


ii8  THE  REAL  MORMONISM 

Church  edifices.  The  splendid  Temple  in  Salt  Lake  City,  which 
is  one  of  the  most  substantial  edifices  in  the  entire  United  States, 
was  built  largely  by  the  voluntary  labor  of  the  Mormon  people, 
as  were  also  the  three  other  large  temples  at  St.  George,  Manti, 
and  Logan  in  Utah,  the  older  temples  at  Kirtland,  Ohio,  and 
Nauvoo,  Illinois,  and  all  of  the  ward  chapels  throughout  Mor- 
mondom.  Such  a  record  as  this  shows  a  degree  of  enthusiasm, 
also  of  genuine  community  sentiment  that  is  rare,  if  not  entirely 
unparalleled.  In  these  days  of  sociological  theorizing,  when  the 
present  order,  bad  as  it  is,  is  menaced  by  the  advocates  of  senti- 
mental and  radical  schemes,  which  have  failed  wherever  at- 
tempted on  a  practical  scale,  it  is  remarkable  that  the  success  of 
Mormonism  should  not  be  taken  as  an  object  lesson  on  the  un- 
escapable  necessity  of  reorganizing  society  on  a  basis  distinctly 
religious,  instead  of  being  met  by  lies,  slanders  and  deliberate 
misrepresentations  from  the  lips  of  people  professing  to  be 
teachers  of  righteousness.  If  this  unworthy  and  un-Christian 
attitude  evidences  nothing  else,  it  is  certainly  competent  in  estab- 
lishing the  truth  of  the  Socialist  allegation  that  religion,  as  it  is 
known  among  us,  cannot  be  depended  on  to  assist  in  social  better- 
ment to  the  minutest  extent.  That  the  Mormon  record  argues 
to  a  contrary  conclusion  is  good  evidence  that  it  is  of  a  different 
order  and  origin  from  many  of  the  familiar  sects  among  us, 
whether,  as  it  claims,  based  on  direct  divine  authority,  or  not. 


CHAPTER  X 

MORMONISM   AS  THE  INSTRUMENT  OF  TEMPORAL  SALVATION 

The  unchallenged  superiority  of  the  Mormon  Church  as  a 
successful  exponent  of  social  regeneration,  of  "  worldly  salva- 
tion," in  fact,  of  the  order  evidently  contemplated  by  Christ 
Himself,  if  His  words  have  the  plain  meaning,  which  have  been 
so  generally  and  so  adroitly  ignored  by  His  professed  and  pre- 
tended followers  in  all  ages,  is  well  exampled  in  the  following 
passage  from  the  experience  of  John  Taylor,  third  President  of 
the  Church.  When  the  Mormons  had  left  Nauvoo,  Illinois,  in 
the  early  part  of  1846,  the  city  fell  into  the  hands  of  a  band  of 
Fourierite  colonists,  under  the  direction  of  a  certain  Etienne 
Cabet,  and  proceeded,  under  the  most  favorable  conditions  imag- 
inable, to  put  their  Utopian  plans  into  operation.  As  with  all 
similar  experiments,  this  was  an  utter  failure  —  and  for  the 
familiar  reason  that  Fourierism,  like  other  forms  of  Socialism, 
attempts  to  grow  the  flower  of  altruism  and  unselfishness  in  the 
soil  of  misery,  and  without  the  help  of  anything  vital  in  the  line 
of  a  religious  influence.  While  engaged  in  a  mission  in  Paris, 
France,  Elder  Taylor  met  a  certain  Fourierite  journalist  named 
Krolokoski,  with  whom  he  held  a  conversation  touching  the 
merits  of  their  respective  "  gospels."     Thus : 

"  Mr.  K.— *  Mr.  Taylor,  do  you  propose  no  other  plan  to  ameliorate  the 
condition  of  mankind  than  that  of  baptism  for  the  remission  of  sins  ? ' 
"  Elder  T.— *  This  is  all  I  propose  about  the  matter.' 
"  Mr.  K. — '  Well,  I  wish  you  every  success ;  but  I  am  afraid  you  will 
not  succeed.* 

"  Elder  T.— '  Monsieur  Krolokoski,  you  sent  Monsieur  Cabet  to  Nau- 
voo, some  time  ago.  He  was  considered  your  leader  —  the  most  talented 
man  you  had.  He  went  to  Nauvoo  shortly  after  we  had  deserted  it. 
Houses  and  lands  could  be  obtained  at  a  mere  nominal  sum.  Rich  farms 
were  deserted,  and  thousands  of  us  had  left  our  houses  and  furniture  in 
them,  and  almost  everything  calculated  to  promote  the  happiness  of  man 
was  there.  Never  could  a  person  go  to  a  place  under  more  happy  cir- 
cumstances. Besides  all  the  advantages  of  having  everything  made  ready 
to  his  hand,  M.  Cabet  had  a  select  company  of  colonists.  He  and  his 
company  went  to  Nauvoo  —  what  is  the  result?  I  read  in  all  your  re- 
ports from  there  —  published  in  your  own  paper  here,  in  Paris,  a  con- 
tinued cry  for  help.    The  cry  is  money,  money !    We  want  money  to  help 

119 


I20  THE  REAL  MORMONISM 

us  carry  out  our  designs.  While  your  colony  in  Nauvoo  with  all  the  ad- 
vantages of  our  deserted  fields  and  homes  —  that  they  had  only  to  move 
into  —  have  been  dragging  out  a  miserable  existence,  the  Latter-day 
Saints,  though  stripped  of  their  all  and  banished  from  civilized  society 
into  the  valleys  of  the  Rocky  Mountains,  to  seek  their  protection  among 
savages  .  .  .  which  Christian  civilization  denied  us  —  there  our  people 
have  built  houses,  enclosed  lands,  cultivated  gardens,  built  school-houses, 
and  have  organized  a  government  and  are  prospering  in  all  the  blessings 
of  civilized  life.  Not  only  this,  but  they  have  sent  thousands  and  thou- 
sands of  dollars  over  to  Europe  to  assist  the  suffering  poor  to  go  to 
America,  where  they  might  find  an  asylum. 

"  The  society  I  represent,  M.  Krolokoski,  comes  with  the  fear  of  God 
»-^  the  worship  of  the  great  Elohim ;  we  offer  the  simple  plan  ordained 
of  God,  viz.  repentance,  baptism  for  the  remission  of  sins,  and  the  laying- 
on  of  hands  for  the  gift  of  the  Holy  Ghost.  .  .  .  Now,  which  is  the  bet- 
ter, our  religion,  or  your  philosophy  ?  ' 

"  Mr.  K. — *  Well,  Mr.  Taylor,  I  can  say  nothing.'  " — Life  of  John  Tay- 
lor (B.  H.  Roberts),  pp.  226-227. 

No  more  striking  contrast  exists  in  literature,  and  no  greater 
antithesis  of  human  experience  can  be  found  in  history.  That 
the  comparisons  made  by  Elder  Taylor  are  true  to  the  life  is 
evident  on  careful  study  of  the  records  of  both  communities 
mentioned.  The  Icarian  colony  (so  called)  continued  at  Nau- 
voo, with  more  or  less  success,  from  1849  until  1857.  It  began 
then  to  show  the  inevitable  signs  of  fatal  malady  in  the  spirit  of 
anarchism  and  discontent  that  nearly  invariably  affects  such  ex- 
periments sooner  or  later.  In  1857  the  property  of  the  com- 
munity passed  into  the  hands  of  a  receiver,  to  be  administered 
for  the  benefit  of  its  creditors,  and,  beginning  with  this  year,  the  1 
colonists  gradually  removed  to  another  Icarian  settlement  in  ^ 
Adams  county,  Iowa.  Here,  also,  the  community  life  continued, 
with  fair  prosperity,  until  1878,  when  there  was  another  division, 
followed  by  an  extended  law  suit.  Finally,  in  1895,  the  com- 
munity life  was  abandoned  by  unanimous  vote  of  the  surviving 
members,  and  the  property  was  divided  among  them.  Some 
years  before  this  final  catastrophe,  M.  Cabet  (or  Cabot)  had 
died  near  St.  Louis,  Missouri,  heartbroken  at  the  evident  failure 
of  his  life  work. 

The  unhappy  conclusion  of  the  Icarian  experiment,  and  the 
downfall  of  poor  Cabet,  who  had,  undoubtedly,  held  high  hopes 
of  permanently  benefitting  his  fellow-men,  is  merely  typical  of 
the  fate  that  must  inevitably  overtake  any  sociological  experi- 
ment, that  is  founded  firstplace  on  mere  reaction  on  the  present 
social  order,  without  sufficient  planning  to  neutralize  present 
evils  by  rational  substitutes.  The  mere  substitution  of  an  ideal 
of  communism  is  no  offset  to  a  regime  of  individualism,  for  the 
simple  reason  that  individualism  is,  in  fundamental  principle, 
natural,  whereas  commtmism  can  subsist  only  on  a  community 


TEMPORAL  SALVATION  121 

of  interest,  as  when  many  people  combine  for  national  defense, 
or  to  save  themselves,  each  one  as  well  as  all,  from  the  untoward 
effects  of  a  natural  catastrophe.  The  prime  fault  with  social- 
ism, and  all  other  current  schemes  of  social  reorganization,  is 
that  it  has  not  yet  outlived  the  state  of  reactionism,  which,  while 
rebelling  against  "tyranny,"  would  give  the  slave  his  chance  in 
the  role  of  tyrant.  This  tendency  has  been  ably  condemned  and 
deplored  by  Herbert  Spencer  in  his  essay,  "  The  Coming  Slav- 
ery." Speaking  of  the  possible  establishment  of  a  socialistic 
state,  he  says : 

"  The  final  result  would  be  a  revival  of  despotism.  A  disciplined  army 
of  civil  officials,  like  an  army  of  military  officials,  gives  supreme  power 
to  its  head  —  a  power  which  often  led  to  usurpation,  as  in  mediaeval  Eu- 
rope and  more  recently  in  Japan  —  nay,  has  thus  so  led  among  our  neigh- 
bors, within  our  own  times.  The  recent  confessions  of  M.  de  Maupas 
has  shown  how  readily  a  constitutional  head,  elected  and  trusted  by  the 
whole  people,  may,  with  the  aid  of  a  few  unscrupulous  confederates,  par- 
alyze the  representative  body  and  make  himself  autocrat.  That 
those  who  rose  to  power  in  a  socialistic  organization  would  not 
scruple  to  carry  out  their  aims  at  all  costs,  we  have  good  reason  for  con- 
cluding. When  we  find  that  shareholders  who,  sometimes  gaining  but 
often  losing,  have  made  that  railway  system  by  which  national  prosperity 
has  been  so  greatly  increased,  are  spoken  of  by  the  council  of  the  Demo- 
cratic Federation  as  having  *  laid  hands '  on  the  means  of  communica- 
tion, we  may  infer  that  those  who  directed  a  socialistic  administration 
might  interpret  with  extreme  perversity  the  claims  of  individuals  and 
classes  under  their  control.  And  when,  further,  we  find  members  of  this 
same  council  urging  that  the  State  should  take  possession  of  the  rail- 
ways, *  with  or  without  compensation,'  we  may  suspect  that  the  heads  of 
the  ideal  society  desired,  would  be  but  little  deterred  by  considerations 
of  equity  from  pursuing  whatever  policy  they  thought  needful ;  a  policy 
which  would  always  be  one  identified  with  their  own  supremacy.  It 
would  need  but  war  with  an  adjacent  society,  or  some  internal  discontent 
demanding  forcible  suppression,  to  at  once  transform  a  socialistic  ad- 
ministration into  a  grinding  tyranny  like  that  of  ancient  Peru;  under 
which  the  mass  of  the  people,  controlled  by  grades  of  officials,  and  lead- 
ing lives  that  were  inspected  out-of-doors  and  in-doors,  labored  for  the 
support  of  the  organization  which  regulated  them,  and  were  left  with  but 
a  bare  subsistence  for  themselves.  And  then  would  be  completely  re- 
vived, under  a  different  form,  that  regime  of  status  —  that  system  of 
compulsory  cooperation,  the  decaying  tradition  of  which  is  represented 
by  the  old  Toryism,  and  towards  which  the  new  Toryism  is  carrying 
us  back." —  The  Coming  Slavery,  pp.  17-18. 

While  it  is  probably  true  that,  with  human  nature  as  at  present 
developed,  the  results  indicated  by  Mr.  Spencer  would  follow 
sooner  or  later  on  the  establishment  of  a  Socialist  regime,  it  is 
safe  to  say  that,  on  the  basis  of  actual  experience.  Socialism 
would  probably  fail  before  the  stage  of  autocracy  had  been 
reached.  The  defect  may  be  in  human  nature,  which  has  never, 
hitherto,  been  able  to  subsist  on  humanitarian  enthusiasm  alone, 
and  this  bases  our  objections  to  Socialism  on  the  ground  that  it 


122  THE  REAL  MORMONISM 

assumes  a  degree  of  "  goodness  "  in  man,  which  is  not  native  to 
his  character.  It  does  him  an  injustice  by  ideaHzing  him,  for- 
getting that  the  defects  of  society,  against  which  it  protests,  are 
the  out  workings  of  human  nature,  quite  as  much  as  the  usual 
failures  of  Socialism,  when  put  to  the  practical  test.  This  cause 
of  Socialist  failure  is  well  set  forth  in  a  recent  work,  which  out- 
lines the  history  of  Socialist  experiments  made  by  certain  Aus- 
tralian and  British  enthusiasts  in  Paraguay.  These  colonists 
settled  at  places  called  by  them  New  Australia  and  Cosme,  and, 
after  battling  long  to  live  the  principles  of  their  creed,  finally 
yielded  to  the  "logic  of  events,"  and  abandoned  them.  The 
story  goes  on  to  relate  that  the  result  of  discontinuing  the  Social- 
ist experiment  was  the  incoming  of  a  previously  unrealized  pros- 
perity. Although  the  writer  of  this  book  is  evidently  bitterly 
anti-Socialist,  his  account  seems  to  be  accurate,  and  his  infer- 
ences sound.  He  concludes  his  account  of  the  ventures  in  the 
following  words: 

"The  stalwarts  who  remained  after  the  collapse  of  William  Lane's 
wild  venture  have  made  a  gallant  fight  back  to  prosperity,  and  have  dis- 
proved the  allegation  that  it  was  the  nature  of  the  country,  rather  than 
the  evils  inseparable  from  Socialism,  which  caused  the  original  failure. 
At  the  present  day  the  prosperity  of  those  who  remain  in  the  New  Aus- 
tralia colony  is  steadily  increasing,  and  a  number  of  the  Utopians  who 
were  repatriated  have  found  their  way  back  to  Paraguay,  to  share  in  the 
great  advantages  which  the  settlement  offers  to  Anglo-Saxons  with  agri- 
cultural experience.  ...  At  the  present  day.  New  Australia  is  neither  a 
Utopian  Eden  nor  a  'hell  upon  earth.'  It  is  an  average  community  of 
sane,  sober,  hard-working,  self-respecting  farmers,  living  at  peace  with 
one  another  and  taking  for  their  motto :  '  What  we  have  we  hold ! '  .  .  . 
Cosme  for  many  years  made  no  such  progress.  Till  1904  it  endeavored 
to  keep  itself  afloat  by  the  publication  of  its  journal  of  far-fetched  ar- 
ticles describing  the  happiness  of  its  people,  which  induced  other  credu- 
lous souls  to  join  them  in  the  expectation  of  experiencing  impossible 
bliss.  Cheated  by  false  hopes,  these  newcomers  quickly  fell  into  the 
growing  quagmire  of  discontent  and  misery.  Things  became  worse 
every  year ;  the  original  glamor  faded,  and  men's  hearts  hardened  as  they 
had  done  at  New  Australia.  The  feeling  of  bitterness  against  those  who 
were  sick  and  unable  to  work,  and  against  widows,  and  people  with  large 
families  parasitically  dependent  upon  the  exertions  of  the  adult  able- 
bodied,  was  the  saddest  feature  of  the  place.  It  often  happened  that  a 
man,  who  was  seriously  ill,  would  stagger  to  his  work  when  he  should 
have  been  lying  up,  for  fear  of  the  boycotting  which  came  to  be  syste- 
matically practised  towards  any  who  failed  to  do  their  allotted  day's  task. 
Rather  than  work  for  the  benefit  of  *  all '  any  longer,  many  of  the  bache- 
lors withdrew  to  Sapucay,  and  obtained  employment  at  the  engineering 
works  of  the  Paraguay  Central  Railway.  Married  men  with  families  of 
young  children,  remained  tied  to  the  spot,  hopelessly  striving  to  make 
headway  against  the  dead-weight  of  debt  —  for  everything  was  mort- 
gaged—  which  bore  them  down. 

"  Eventually,  as  at  New  Australia,  the  Government  stepped  in, 
withdrew  the  original  grant,  and  divided  the  Cosme  settlement  up, 
on  the  usual  colonization  terms,  each  family  being  allotted  so  much 


TEMPORAL  SALVATION  123 

'agricultural  and  so  much  grazing  land.  'The  Cosme  Colony  has  now 
definitely  thrown  its  dreams  overboard,'  wrote  a  correspondent  to  an 
Australian  journal.  '  For  several  years  before  it  abandoned  the 
original  principles,  it  was  an  open  secret  (scarcely  even  concealed 
by  the  interested  parties)  that  the  few  remaining  members  were  held 
together  only  by  the  expectation  of  the  final  break-up,  when  the  prop- 
erty would  be  divided,  and  the  fewer  that  remained  the  greater  individual 
share  would  accrue  to  each.'" — Stewart  Grahame  (Where  Socialism 
Failed,  pp.  225-228.) 

There  is  little  to  be  gained  by  enlarging  upon  the  failure  of 
experiments  in  Socialism,  or  in  any  other  system  honestly  de- 
vised for  the  good  of  mankind  and  the  betterment  of  social  con- 
ditions. Such  examples  of  failure  are,  however,  so  many  cases 
in  point  to  uphold  the  contention  that  there  is  in  such  schemes 
"one  thing  lacking."  That  this  is  a  deliberate  recognition  of 
the  religious  instinct  is  the  conclusion  of  numerous  thinkers, 
great  and  small,  and  the  real  explanation  of  the  fact  that  the 
advocates  of  even  inefficient  religious  sects  are  able  to  wage 
effective  warfare  against  the  most  promising  schemes  of  social 
reform.  The  fact  that,  as  recognized  by  sociological  theorizers, 
the  religious  instinct  has  been  largely  perverted  throughout  his- 
toric time,  and  that  it  is  often  associated  with  the  grossest  orders 
of  superstition,  is  no  argument  against  its  ultimate  validity,  nor 
any  sufficient  excuse  for  the  theory  that  it  will  eventually  be 
outgrown,  sloughed  off,  and  may  for  this  reason,  be  ignored  as 
an  element  in  schemes  intended  to  achieve  the  perfection  of 
humanity.  Such  a  conclusion  is  ably  set  forth  in  the  following 
paragraphs  by  a  popular  writer  on  sociology : 

"  Professor  Huxley,  some  time  ago,  in  a  severe  criticism  of  the  *  Reli- 
gion of  Humanity '  advocated  by  the  followers  of  Comte,  asserted,  in  ac- 
cents which  always  come  naturally  to  the  individual  when  he  looks  at  the 
drama  of  human  life  from  his  own  standpoint,  that  he  would  as  soon 
worship  '  a  wilderness  of  apes '  as  the  Positivist's  rationalized  conception 
of  humanity.  But  the  comparison  with  which  he  concluded,  in  which  he 
referred  to  the  considerable  progress  made  by  Mormonism  as  contrasted 
with  Positivism,  has  its  explanation  when  viewed  in  the  light  of  the  fore- 
going conclusions.  Mormonism  may  be  a  monstrous  form  of  belief,  .  .  . 
yet  it  is  seen  that  we  cannot  deny  to  it  the  characteristics  of  a  religion. 
Although,  on  the  other  hand,  the  'Religion  of  Humanity*  advocated, 
by  Comte  may  be,  and  is,  a  most  exemplary  set  of  principles,  we  per- 
ceive it  to  be  without  those  characteristics.  It  is  not,  apparently,  a  re- 
ligion at  all.  It  is,  like  other  forms  of  belief  which  do  not  provide  a 
super-rational  sanction  for  conduct,  but  which  call  themselves  religions, 
incapable,  from  the  nature  of  the  conditions,  of  exercising  the  func- 
tions of  a  religion  in  the  evolution  of  society. 

"  In  the  religious  beliefs  of  mankind  we  have  not  simply  a  class  of 
phenomena  peculiar  to  the  childhood  of  the  race.  We  have  therein 
the  characteristic  feature  of  our  social  evolution.  These  beliefs  con- 
stitute, in  short,  the  natural  and  inevitable  complement  of  our  reason; 
and  so  far  from  being  threatened  with  eventual  dissolution  they  are 
apparently  destined  to  continue  to  grow  with  the  growth  and  to  de- 


124  THE  REAL  MORMONISM 

velop  with  the  development  of  society,  while  always  preserving  intact 
and  unchangeable  the  one  essential  feature  they  all  have  in  common 
in  the  ultra- rational  sanction  they  provide  for  conduct.  And  lastly, 
as  we  understand  how  an  ultra-rational  sanction  for  the  sacrifice  of  the 
interests  of  the  individual  to  those  of  the  social  organism  has  been  a 
feature  common  to  all  religions  we  see,  also,  the  conception  of  sacrifice 
has  occupied  such  a  central  place  in  nearly  all  beliefs,  and  why  the 
tendency  of  religion  has  ever  been  to  surround  this  principle  with  the 
most  impressive  and  stupendous  of  sanctions." — Benjamin  Kidd  {"So- 
cial Evolution"  pp.  123-125.) 

This  passage  expresses  the  matured  judgment  of  a  sociologist 
v^ho  recognizes  the  obvious  fact  that  a  really  scientific  solution 
of  the  troubles  of  society  mu-st  take  into  consideration  all  of  the 
factors  in  human  nature,  the  good  and  evil  alike.  Nor  is  a  pro- 
posed system  properly  to  be  called  "  scientific  "  because  it  deals 
in  terms  and  principles  borrowed  from  the  hypothesis  of  evolu- 
tion, or  any  other  systematization  of  facts  and  observations  of 
specialists  in  some  branch  or  other  of  human  knowledge.  The 
popular  zoological  sociology,  formulated  as  it  is  by  people  who 
are  neither  zoologists  nor  scientists  in  any  sense,  attempts  to 
make  the  inner  workings  of  the  human  being  conform  to  prin- 
ciples presumably  derived  from  an  external  study  of  the  lower 
animals,  of  whose  actual  psychology  we  have  very  defective 
data,  and  then  we  are  surprised  that  our  schemes  do  not 
work  out  under  life  conditions.  Most  benevolent  theorists, 
being  devoid  of  the  scientific  sense,  are  mere  reactionists,  and, 
because  of  the  evils  experienced  under  one  extreme  of  social 
development,  assume,  inevitably,  that  the  only  offset  is  to  be 
found  under  an  order  that  emphasizes  the  opposite  extreme. 
They  fail  to  discern  the  fact  that  evil  social  conditions  are  the 
development  of  human  traits,  in  certain  definite  environments, 
and  that  the  ideal  and  normal  is  not  to  be  found  in  revising  the 
constitution  of  the  social  order,  but  in  dealing  direct  with  the 
fountain  head  of  motivation.  The  difference  between  the  two 
methods  is  entirely  analogous  to  the  difference  between  attempt- 
ing to  cure  a  disease  in  the  physical  body  by  treating  the  super- 
ficial symptoms,  the  skin  eruptions,  etc.,  and  ignoring  the  sys- 
temic infection  that  is  the  ultimate  source  of  such  symptoms, 
and  the  saner  method,  which  follows  the  theory  that  the  super- 
ficial symptoms,  painful  and  annoying  as  they  may  be,  can  be 
eradicated  only  by  removing  the  infection  in  the  blood. 

Nor  are  we  to  understand  by  the  theory  postulating  the  su- 
premacy of  "  religion  " —  which,  in  a  very  real  and  sufficient 
aspect,  may  be  defined  as  the  sense  possessed  by  the  essential 
self  of  some  real  and  organic  relationship  with  and  dependence 
on  a  source  of  motive  and  a  standard  of  thinking,  which  seems 
to  be,  and  properly  should  be,  ultimate  in  character  —  neces- 


TEMPORAL  SALVATION  125 

irily  involves  wholesale  toleration  for,  or  a  complacent  attitude 
toward  any  and  every  form  of  influence  professing  to  be  reli- 
gious, or  even  Christian.  The  ultimate  judgment  of  "  truth,"  as 
applied  to  religious  systems,  must  be  that  of  practical  efficiency. 
All  considerations  of  "  historical  authority  "  and  logical  accuracy 
are  totally  irrelevant,  by  the  side  of  the  consideration  of  prac- 
tical operability.  Such  a  rule  enforced,  as  should  be,  would 
class  very  many  of  our  sects  and  systems  among  superstitions 
and  encumberances.  Mormonism,  however,  is  justified  in  the  fact 
that  it  is  evidently  an  extremely  practical  form  of  faith,  dealing 
direct  with  the  most  fundamental  instincts  of  the  human  soul, 
and  dealing  so  strongly  and  vividly  as  to  produce,  very  nearly, 
a  distinct  type  of  mankind,  a  type  almost  tribal  or  national  in  its 
strongly  marked  characteristics.  It  stands  almost,  if  not  quite, 
unique  in  the  evident  power  of  transforming  and  unifying  people 
of  diverse  races  to  common  standards  of  thought,  feeling  and 
behavior.  In  this  particular,  it  is  demonstrated  a  truly  vital  re- 
ligious influence.  It  is  not  alone  its  splendid  organization  that 
effects  this  result,  but  some  very  real  and  organic  imperative  be- 
hind even  its  organization.  Nor  is  this,  as  far  as  appears,  wholly 
the  influence  of  its  leaders,  able  and  astute  as  they  may  be,  nor 
yet  the  shadow  of  its  founder's  colossal  personality.  There  can 
be  no  doubt  that  it  is  validly  and  genuinely  religious  in  its  char- 
acter; since  there  is  positively  no  influence  other  than  religion 
known  to  man  —  not  even  patriotism  —  which  is  capable  of  such 
results. 

The  logical  results  of  the  Mormon  influence  and  organization 
are,  as  would  be  expected,  found  in  the  persistent  instinct  of 
cooperation  and  mutual  helpfulness,  and  in  the  practical  brother- 
hood of  Mormons.  The  discontinuance  of  their  first  effort,  the 
United  Order,  is  clearly  traceable,  as  their  own  writers  claim,  to 
the  fact  that  the  world  and  human  nature  were,  and  are,  not  yet 
ready  for  such  a  scheme  of  reorganization,  any  more  than  for 
the  various  schemes  of  communism  and  socialism  that  have  been 
tried  unsuccessfully  by  numerous  non-religious  sociologists. 
That  it  is  an  excellent  ideal  for  the  future,  as  discerned  by  the 
leaders  of  both  movements,  is  probable.  One  great  difference 
in  the  experience  of  the  Mormons,  as  compared  with  that  of 
experimenters  in  "  communism,"  is  that  the  spirit  and  impulse 
of  the  system  still  persists  among  the  Mormons  in  a  very  vivid 
sense,  and  has  not  been  lost  to  sight  as  an  ideal  for  the  future. 
The  fact  is  well  outlined  in  the  following  quotation  from  a  lead- 
ing Mormon  writer  and  historian: 

"The  United   Order  was  not  permanently  established,  nor   did   its 
original  workings  long  continue.    Human  selfishness  within,  inhuman 


126  THE  REAL  MORMONISM 

persecution  without,  were  the  twofold  cause.  .  .  .  The  system,  therefore, 
went  into  abeyance,  and  the  work  of  organizing  Stakes  of  Zion,  pre- 
paratory to  the  founding  of  Zion  proper,  has  since  engrossed  the  at- 
tention of  the  Church.  But  the  great  event  has  only  been  postponed. 
The  reaHzation  of  the  ideal  is  still  in  prospect.  The  United  Order, 
with  all  that  it  implies,  will  yet  be  established  —  must  be,  for  Zion  can- 
not be  built  up  without  it. 

"Meanwhile  the  spirit  and  genius  of  that  Order  has  remained  with 
the  Church,  and  has  influenced  its  people,  more  or  less,  in  all  the  moves 
that  they  have  made,  in  all  the  enterprises  that  they  have  undertaken. 
The  spirit  of  brotherhood,  of  cooperation,  of  mutual  helpfulness,  has 
characterized  them  in  all  their  proselyting,  colonizing,  commercial,  in- 
dustrial, and  educational  activities. 

"The  Pioneers  of  Utah  and  the  Immigrants  who  followed  in  their 
wake  and  helped  them  to  found  the  earliest  settlement  in  the  Rocky 
Mountain  region,  were  actuated  by  such  feelings.  Those  who  came  first 
into  these  mountain  solitudes,  these  unoccupied  valleys,  could  have  made 
great  *  land  grabs '  if  they  had  felt  so  disposed,  and  enriched  themselves 
at  the  expense  of  their  fellows  who  came  later.  But  this  was  not  their 
disposition,  nor  their  desire.  .  .  .  Under  the  leadership  and  counsel  of 
men  imbued  with  the  genius  of  the  United  Order,  and  who  set  the 
example  themselves,  and  asked  the  people  to  follow  it,  those  early  set- 
tlers contented  themselves  with  moderate  possessions.  The  real  estate 
was  distributed  among  all  the  members  of  the  community,  each  one 
/  getting  a  share.  Many  of  those  first  upon  the  ground  gave  to  others 
I  who  arrived  in  after  years.  There  was  no  monopoly  of  land  or  water 
\  in  the  Pioneer  colony,  nor  in  any  of  the  colonies  that  sprang  from  it. 
Small  holdings  were  the  rule.  It  was  a  maxim  in  the  community  that 
a  man  should  own  no  more  land  than  he  could  cultivate.  .  .  .  ^ 

"  The  altruistic  spirit  of  the  '  Mormon '  community  was  strikingly 
shown  during  certain  periods  following  the  original  occupancy  of  Salt 
Lake  Valley,  when  drought,  frost,  and  the  ravages  of  crickets  and  grass- 
hoppers brought  scarcity  and  threatened  famine  to  the  struggling  peo- 
ple. ...  All  were  not  alike  destitute.  Some,  foreseeing  the  straitness, 
provided  against  it,  and  their  bins  and  barns  were  full,  while  others 
were  empty.  Those  who  had,  gave  to  those  who  had  not,  the  full  lard- 
ers and  storehouses  being  drawn  upon  to  supply  the  needy  and  prevent 
suffering.  More  than  one  provident,  well-to-do  citizen  stood  as  a  Joseph 
in  Egypt  to  the  hungry  multitude.  They  took  no  advantage  of  their 
neighbors.  Where  they  did  not  give  outright,  as  was  often  the  case, 
they  sold  at  moderate  prices  their  beef  and  bread-stuffs  to  those  able 
to  reimburse  them.  When  flour  commanded  as  high  as  a  dollar  a  pound, 
these  big-souled  men,  who  were  generally  leading  authorities  of  the 
Church,  would  not  accept  more  than  six  cents  a  pound;  nor  would 
they  sell  at  all  except  to  those  in  need,  refusing  to  speculate,  or  en- 
courage others  to  speculate,  out  of  the  necessities  of  the  poor.  This 
splendid  philanthropy  was  due  to  the  spirit  of  the  Gospel,  the  spirit 
of  the  United  Order,  the  spirit  that  will  yet  redeem  Zion  and  prepare 
a  people  for  that  era  of  brotherhood,  righteousness  and  peace  that  is 
synonymous  with  the  coming  of  the  Kingdom  of  God." — Orson  F,j 
Whitney  {"Mormon  Activities/'  pp.  12-14.) 
After  the  settlement  of  the  Mormon  pioneers  in  the  valleys  of 
Utah,  there  was  a  well-defined  movement  to  restore  the  United 
Order,  on  the  part  of  Brigham  Young  and  other  influential 


TEMPORAL  SALVATION  127 

spirits.  The  scheme  was  abandoned,  however,  or,  rather,  not 
perfected;  very  largely,  as  we  may  surmise,  because  of  consid- 
erations of  a  more  or  less  practical  character.  Undoubtedly, 
such  a  plan  would  have  been  acceptable  to  a  large  number  of  the 
people,  whose  resources  were  none  too  large,  and  whose  labors 
in  redeeming  the  desert  might  have  been  attractively  lightened 
by  a  common  fund  to  draw  upon  for  support.  Had  President 
Young,  and  his  immediate  advisers,  been  of  the  venal  and  un- 
worthy character  many  informants  would  have  us  believe,  the 
scheme  of  a  United  Order  might  have  appealed  strongly  as  a 
convenient  means  for  securing  control  of  the  funds  and  prop- 
erty of  the  whole  of  their  people.     Thus : 

"Had  Brigham  Young  persevered  in  his  predecessor's  [Joseph 
Smith's]  project,  it  is  almost  certain  that  he  would  have  established 
a  gigantic  'company'  that  would  have  controlled  all  the  temporal  in- 
terests of  the  territory,  and  eventually  comprised  the  whole  Mormon 
population.  It  is  just  possible  that  he  himself  foresaw  that  such  success 
would  be  ruin;  that  the  foundations  of  the  Order  would  sink  under 
such  a  prodigious  superstructure,  for  he  diverted  his  attention  from 
the  main  to  subsidiary  schemes.  Instead  of  one  central  organization 
sending  out  colonies  on  all  sides  of  it,  he  advised  the  establishment 
of  branch  communities,  which  might  eventually  be  gathered  together 
under  a  single  headquarters'  control.  The  two  projects  were  the  same 
as  to  results;  they  differed  only  as  to  the  means;  and  the  second  was 
the  more  judicious." — Phil  Robinson  {"Sinners  and  Saints,"  pp.  223). 

Although  Mr.  Robinson's  information  and  inferences  are  not 
always  entirely  reliable,  his  explanation  of  the  reasons  for  not 
reestablishing  the  Order  in  Utah  seems  reasonable,  in  view  of 
the  actual  developments  under  the  administration  of  President 
Young  and  his  immediate  successors.  The  foremost  thought  in 
the  minds  of  these  leaders  was,  apparently,  cooperation,  as  a 
reasonable  method  of  providing  employment  for  many  of  the 
Saints,  and  of  upbuilding  home  industries.  But  the  policy  con- 
sistently followed  by  President  Young  in  the  development  of 
Utah  was  conspicuous  throughout  the  journeyings  of  the  Mor- 
mon people  from  Nauvoo  to  the  Rocky  Mountains.  On  several 
occasions  temporary  settlements  were  made,  and  crops  planted 
in  the  spring  for  the  benefit  of  journeying  "  Saints,"  who  should 
reach  these  localities  in  the  summer  and  autumn.  All  able- 
bodied  men  were  then  called  upon  to  contribute  their  labor  for 
the  common  good,  and  did  so  cheerfully.  During  this  terrible 
journey,  also,  President  Young  first  enunciated  the  famous 
"  land  law  of  Modern  Israel,"  which  demanded  that  "  no  man 
is  to  hold  more  land  than  he  can  cultivate."  It  was  the  prin- 
ciple upon  which  apportionments  of  land  were  made  on  the  ar- 
rival in  the  Salt  Lake  Valley.    The  law  of  cooperation  in  all 


128  THE  REAL  MORMONISM 

temporal  matters  was  also  set  forth  in  the  Epistle  issued  by  the 
Apostles  at  Winter  Quarters  (now  Florence),  Nebraska,  Decem- 
ber 23,  1846,  in  the  following  striking  sentence: 

"  It  is  the  duty  of  the  rich  saints  everywhere,  to  assist  the  poor,  ac- 
cording to  their  ability,  to  gather;  and  if  choose,  with  a  covenant  and 
promise  that  the  poor  thus  helped,  shall  repay  as  soon  as  they  are  able. 
It  is  also  the  duty  of  the  rich,  those  who  have  the  intelligence  and  the 
means,  to  come  home  forthwith,  and  establish  factories,  and  all  kinds 
of  machinery,  that  will  tend  to  give  employment  to  the  poor,  and  pro- 
duce those  articles  which  are  necessary  for  the  comfort,  convenience, 
health  and  happiness  of  the  people ;  and  no  one  need  to  be  at  a  loss  con- 
cerning his  duty  in  these  matters,  if  he  will  walk  so  humbly  before 
God  as  to  keep  the  small  still  whisperings  of  the  Holy  Ghost  within 
continually." 

The  excellent  principles  enunciated  in  this  epistle  were  ad- 
hered to  as  closely  as  possible  in  the  settlement  and  up-building 
of  Utah.  Indeed,  as  reflection  will  reveal,  this  must  have  been 
the  case,  since,  otherwise,  it  would  be  difficult  to  conceive  how 
that  stable  and  prosperous  colonies  could  be  made  up  of  all  sorts 
and  conditions  of  people,  from  all  parts  of  the  civilized  world. 
Brigham  Young  was  undoubtedly  a  great  leader,  sometimes,  per- 
haps, arbitrary  and  dictatorial,  but,  on  the  whole,  a  person  con- 
sistently benevolent  and  solicitous  for  the  well-being  of  the 
people  in  his  charge.  Moreover,  as  is  evident  to  the  candid  his- 
torian, the  responsibility  largely  devolved  upon  him  to  carry  out 
the  excellent  principles  of  the  Mormon  Gospel  for  the  temporal 
benefit  of  mankind.  That  he  nobly  discharged  his  mission  is 
evident.  Indeed,  Young's  constant  activity  in  all  movements  for 
the  temporal  benefit  of  the  people  furnished  the  occasion  seized 
by  certain  malcontents,  notably  Messrs.  Godbe,  Harrison,  Sten- 
house,  Tullidge,  and  others,  to  inaugurate  a  movement  in  protest 
against  his  activity  in  temporal  affairs,  particularly  in  the  matter 
of  founding  and  conducting  large  stores  and  manufacturing  en- 
terprises, to  the  disadvantage,  as  alleged,  of  spiritual  concerns. 
This  "  protest "  had,  as  was  evidently  desired,  a  truly  pious 
flavor,  but  Brigham  Young's  policy  was  doubtless  nearer  to  the 
sort  of  religious  and  "  spiritual "  influence  that  the  world  is 
beginning  to  demand  very  insistently,  and  is  amply  ready  to  ap- 
preciate. In  the  words  of  Joseph  F.  Smith,  as  quoted  on  page 
212,  '*a  religion  which  has  not  the  power  to  save  people  tem- 
porally and  make  them  prosperous  and  happy  here,  cannot  be 
depended  upon  to  save  them  spiritually,  to  exalt  them  in  the  life 
to  come."  This  is,  in  fact,  the  "law  and  the  prophets"  of 
Mormonism ;  it  is  also  the  alpha  and  the  omega  of  common  sense. 
We  can  readily  understand,  in  view  of  the  puny  humanitarian 
achievements  of  the  last  eighteen  centuries,  and  the  dreadful 
social  order,  which  we  are  asked  to  call  "  civilized  "  and  "  Chris- 


TEMPORAL  SALVATION  129 

tian,"  why  Mormonism  is  regarded  as  such  a  "  menace  "  in  some 
quarters:  although  its  spread  would  mean  the  end  of  multitudes 
of  sociological  difficulties,  traditional  religious  sects  would  suf- 
fer in  the  comparison. 

"  From  the  first  *  home  industry  *  has  been  a  watchword  in  Utah,  and 
among  the  first  lessons  taught  to  the  Mormon  people  by  Brigham 
Young,  after  their  migration  to  Utah,  was  to  supply  as  far  as  possible 
their  wants  by  manufactures  from  raw  materials  in  the  surrounding 
region.  It  was  the  plan  of  Brigham  Young  to  build  up  an  independent 
sovereignty  and  to  make  his  people  as  free  as  possible  from  appeal 
to  the  outside  world.  Disposition  and  need,  therefore,  early  induced 
the  manufacture  of  many  articles  in  Utah,  and  thus  were  revealed 
many  of  the  resources  of  Utah  and  developed  the  self-supplying  facul- 
ties of  the  people.  Many  of  the  manufactures  they  then  produced  in  a 
primitive  way  have  since  been  refined  upon  and  expanded,  until  the 
quality  and  quantity  of  goods  manufactured  in  Utah  are  by  no  means  in- 
significant."— "Utah:  Resources,  Population,  Industries,  etc."  {U.  P. 
R.  R.  guide  book)  p.  78. 

The  part  played  by  the  Mormon  Church  in  the  development  of 
Utah  must  be  apparent  to  any  intelligent  and  unbiased  mind  in 
considering  the  history  of  that  region  from  the  beginning.  It 
may  be  safe  to  assert  that  no  band  of  pilgrims,  of  equal  size, 
with  a  different  religious  history  and  character,  possibly,  also, 
with  a  different  leadership,  would  have  attempted,  in  the  first 
half  of  the  nineteenth  century,  to  make  a  settlement  in  the  val- 
leys of  Utah.  Not  even  the  understandable,  not  to  say,  excus- 
able, desire  to  escape  from  the  American  people,  with  their 
generous  and  liberal  professions  and  their  curiously  intolerant 
behavior,  could  have  explained,  in  other  conditions,  the  Mormon 
settlement  in  and  subsequent  conquest  of  the  wilderness.  Unless 
the  interest  of  their  leaders  in  the  temporal  welfare  of  the  peo- 
ple, in  their  "  temporal  salvation,"  had  been  more  than  a  verbal 
profession  of  faith,  Utah  would  have  been  the  scene  of  their 
dispersal,  the  point  at  which  the  curtain  should  be  rung  down  on 
the 'drama  of  Mormonism.  But  Brigham  Young,  full  of  faith 
in  his  mission,  as  leader  of  these  people,  and  possessed  of  good 
and  well-reasoned  plans  for  transforming  the  desert  into  a  gar- 
den site,  was  nothing  deterred  by  the  challenges  of  the  scout, 
James  Bridger,  "  I  will  give  you  $1,000  for  the  first  ear  of  com 
ripened  in  that  valley."  Doubtless,  in  view  of  the  enormous 
difficulties  to  be  overcome,  the  Mormons  would  consider  that  the 
determination  to  settle  in  this  unpromising  region  was  both  pre- 
determined and  providential.  Many  less  reasonable  calls  have 
been  made  on  providence. 

Having  brought  his  people  to  a  place  which  seemed  far  from 
promising,  not  alone  to  James  Bridger,  his  work  was  barely 
begun.    The  people  must  be  led  and  guided  in  the  work  of  irri- 


130  THE  REAL  MORMONISM 

gating  the  waste,  and  encouraged  and  held  together  until  the 
work  was  well  in  progress.  It  is  fortunate  for  the  Mormon 
People  that  Young  was  not  interested  solely  in  *' spiritual  con- 
cerns," but  also  in  matters  temporal  and  commercial.  To  him 
and  to  his  faith  are  to  be  credited  the  successful  accomplishment 
of  this  mighty  work. 

"When  Brigham  Young  assumed  the  awful  responsibility  of  moving 
his  followers  to  the  desert  valleys  of  the  Rocky  Mountains,  he  did  it 
upon  faith  that  irrigation,  one  of  the  oldest  arts  of  the  Old  World, 
could  be  successfully  applied  to  the  lands  he  proposed  to  settle,  and 
before  the  close  of  the  day  of  his  arrival  in  Salt  Lake  Valley,  he 
began  the  building  of  the  first  irrigation  canal.  That  his  faith  was 
not  misplaced  is  manifested  by  the  great  areas  now  covered  by  canals 
and  laterals.  The  first  canal  was  obliterated  in  a  few  years  by  the 
streets  and  structures  of  a  city  which  sprang  up  because  of  it;  but  by 
that  time  other  canals  were  in  operation  and  irrigation  was  well  estab- 
lished in  the  western  country.  What  an  important  factor  that  first 
canal  became  in  the  growth  of  the  West!  The  system  it  originated 
has  extended  in  every  direction,  until  now  scores  of  runaway  streams 
have  been  seized  and  almost  every  valley  from  California  to  Kansas 
is  filled  with  the  homes  of  husbandmen.  It  is  stated  with  confidence 
that  although  irrigation  has  been  employed  in  Spain  and  elsewhere  in 
the  Old  World  for  centuries,  in  no  place  has  it  been  brought  to  greater 
perfection  than  in  Utah.  ...  As  long  as  any  of  the  waters  of  Utah's 
streams  and  lakes  remained  unappropriated,  the  building  of  irrigation 
systems  continued  in  Utah,  and  many  fertile  valleys  were  brought  under 
the  plow.  Under  the  Mormon  system  the  utmost  fairness  has  always 
prevailed  in  the  distribution  of  water,  and  for  that  reason  Utah's 
,  reclaimed  areas  are  much  larger  than  they  might  have  been  had  selfish- 
j  ness  prevailed  and  prior  appropriators  been  disposed  to  abuse  their 
/  rights.  There  has  been  almost  an  entire  absence  of  water  litigation  in 
/  Utah,  and  never  a  claim  of  wanton  waste.  Many  of  the  systems  were 
put  in  upon  the  cooperative  plan,  and  the  waters  have  always  been  dis- 
tributed with  great  impartiality  —  farmers  only  taking  water  at  stated 
times  and  using  no  more  than  the  needed  amount.  In  this  way  the 
waters  have  been  carried  over  large  areas  now  thickly  populated  and 
wonderfully  productive." — Ibid.  p.  60. 

In  this  quotation,  which  is  amply  justified  by  the  facts  to  be 
drawn  from  other  sources,  it  is  made  evident  that  the  influence 
of  the  Mormon  religion  and  its  leaders  has  been  eflficient,  not 
alone  in  indicating  lines  of  work  to  be  followed,  and  assisting  in 
them,  in  any  convenient  manner,  but  also  in  instilling  the  spirit 
of  cooperation  and  fellowship,  a  sense  of  the  unity  of  human 
society  realized  in  practice,  not  merely  held  as  an  ideal  for  some 
indefinite  future,  which  is  sufificiently  unusual  to  excite  comment. 

Irrigation,  which  was  started  on  the  arrival  of  the  pioneers  in 
Great  Salt  Lake  Valley  in  1847,  was,  in  fact,  the  most  important 
consideration  in  the  founding  of  all  the  settlements  in  the  arid 
regions  of  the  west.  In  scores  of  instances  the  Church  has 
come  to  the  assistance  of  the  settlers  in  the  work  of  constructing 
dams  and  canals,  and  has  also  purchased  great  tracts  of  land  in 


TEMPORAL  SALVATION  131 

Mexico,  New  Mexico,  Nevada,  and  Canada,  for  colonization 
purposes,  in  order  to  give  the  poor  an  opportunity  to  obtain  cheap 
lands.  Among  the  greater  undertakings  of  this  kind  by  the 
Church  may  be  mentioned  the  Hurricane  irrigation  project  in 
southern  Utah,  by  which  the  waters  of  the  Rio  Virgen  were 
diverted  from  their  natural  channel  to  a  tract  of  rich  bench  land 
lying  to  the  south,  and  opposite  Saint  George,  Washington 
County.  Another  colonization  scheme  known  as  the  Enter- 
prise colony  in  southern  Utah  was  backed  by  Church  money. 
Among  the  settlements  specially  founded  by  the  assistance  of 
the  Church  may  be  mentioned  those  on  the  San  Juan  river,  in 
southeastern  Utah  and  northwestern  New  Mexico,  where  the 
Church  extended  material  aid  and  made  it  possible  for  those 
distant  settlements  to  come  into  existence  and  thrive.  The  set- 
tlements of  Lund  and  Preston,  in  Nevada,  founded  a  few  years 
ago,  were  also  the  result  of  purchases  made  by  the  Church,  with 
a  view  to  making  it  possible  for  members  in  search  of  new  homes 
to  obtain  them  on  terms  within  their  reach.  The  colonies  of 
Diaz,  Dublan,  Juarez,  Pacheco,  Chuichupa,  Garcia,  Oaxaca,  and 
Morelos,  in  Mexico,  were  all  built  on  lands  originally  purchased, 
in  whole  or  in  part,  with  Church  capital,  with  a  view  to  provid- 
ing homes  for  any  Church  members  who  might  desire  to  settle 
in  the  fertile  valleys  of  Mexico. 

The  introduction  of  improved  breeds  of  cattle  in  some  of  the  1 
settlements  is  another  enterprise  which  has  been  backed  by  the  I 
Church,  and  by  this  means  the  cattle  in  different  localities  have 
been  generally  improved  to  the  great  advantage  of  the  settlers. 
As  early  as  1859  the  Church  inaugurated  the  first  effort  to  raise 
cotton  in  southern  Utah,  and  made  stronger  efforts  in  the  same 
direction  in  1861  and  1862. 

One  of  the  most  important  industries  of  the  Far  West,  the 
production  of  beet  sugar,  was  tnade  possible,  indeed  actually  1 
originated  and  fostered  by  the  Church  authorities,  with  the  de-/ 
clared  purpose  of  providing  a  hopeful  source  of  labor  and  in-/ 
come  for  the  people  of  the  region.     The  original  experiments, 
conducted  under  the  immediate  direction  of  President  Young, 
looked  toward  the  perfection  of  the  sorghum  sugar  industry  in! 
Utah,  but,  after  this  attempt  had  proved  unsuccessful,  the  pro- 1 
duction  of  beet  sugar  was  undertaken  instead,  and  is  now  one 
of  the  largest  industries  of  the  mountain  region.    The  starting 
of  the  beet  sugar  industry  at  the  time  of  its  first  inauguration, 
and  under  all  the  conditions  then  existing,  would  have  been 
utterly  impossible,  if  the  Church  had  not  assisted  with  its  means. 

Machinery  for  the  manufacture  of  sugar  from  sorghum  cane 
was  imported  from  Europe  in  1852,  and  was  hauled  across  the 


132  THE  REAL  MORMONISM 

)  plains  to  Salt  Lake  City  on  a  train  of  forty-five  wagons,  each  of 
which  was  drawn  by  four  yoke  of  oxen.  The  first  sorghum 
sugar  factory  was  opened  in  what  is  now  known  as  the  Sugar 
House  Ward  of  Salt  Lake  City  in  1855,  and,  as  a  mere  matter 
of  history,  all  the  vast  expense  involved  was  assujned  by  the 
Church.  The  buildings  erected  for  sugar  manufacture  at  this 
time  were,  in  1861,  remodeled  to  serve  the  purposes  of  a  paper 
manufacturing  plant,  and  at  this  place  paper  was  manufactured 
for  a  number  of  years  to  supply  local  demands.  This  also  was 
an  enterprise  inaugurated  by  the  Church.  Later,  an  extensive 
plant  for  the  manufacture  of  paper  was  erected  at  the  mouth  of 
Big  Cottonwood  Canyon,  near  Salt  Lake  City,  which  for  many 
years  helped  to  supply  the  demands  for  paper  in  the  territory  of 
Utah  and  gave  employment  to  a  large  number  of  people.  The 
plant  was  finally  destroyed  by  fire. 

The  first  beet  sugar  factory  in  Utah  was  built  at  Lehi,  in  1891, 
land  there  are  now  seven  establishments  engaged  in  this  indus- 
try in  Utah  and  Idaho,  all  under  one  management.  They  are 
situated  in  Lehi,  Elsinore,  Payson  and  Garland,  in  Utah,  and 
Idaho  Falls,  Sugar  City  and  Blackfoot,  in  Idaho.  At  the  present 
time  the  sugar  industry  in  Utah  and  Idaho  represents  a  capital 
of  $11,000,000  and  employs  about  1,500  people  in  the  busy 
season,  irrespective  of  those  engaged  in  raising  beets  on  the 
farms. 

This  industry  has  since  grown  to  large  proportions  in  Utah, 
very  largely  through  the  encouragement  of  the  Church  authori- 
ties, both  by  leading  in  the  organization  of  companies,  and  by 
the  investment  of  funds,  for  the  assistance  of  the  farmers  of  the 
territory  and  state.  This  action  has,  of  course,  been  largely  mis- 
interpreted and  misrepresented  by  the  ever-active  enemies  of  the 
Church,  who  have  ascribed  all  sorts  of  evil  motives  to  the  act, 
and  emphasized  the  accusation  that,  because  the  Mormon 
Church  had  helped  its  people  in  upbuilding  an  industry  conveni- 
ent to  them,  it  was  really  an  active  accomplice  of  the  so-called 
Sugar  Trust,  which  is  one  of  the  agencies  represented  to  be  en- 
gaged in  "  grinding  the  faces  of  the  poor." 

The  Church  authorities  have  made  able  efforts  also  to  assist 
in  attempts  to  acclimate  the  silkworm,  and  materially  contrib- 
uted to  establishing  the  silk  industry,  which  for  a  time  bid  fair 
to  become  one  of  the  permanent  industries  of  Utah.  They  were 
also  active  in  encouraging  such  necessary  industries  as  cloth 
and  carpet  weaving,  and  other  forms  of  manufacture.  Woolen 
mills  were  erected,  partly  by  Church  means,  on  Canyon  Creek 
(Salt  Lake  Co.),  in  Provo,  Beaver,  Washington,  Ogden,  Brig- 
ham  City,  and  other  places,  which  have  given  employment  to 


TEMPORAL  SALVATION  133 

hundreds  of  people.  Under  the  guidance  of  Brigham  Young 
and  Lorenzo  Snow,  Brigham  City,  in  northern  Utah,  was  turned 
into  a  centre  for  home  industry.  Tanneries  were  built  in  con- 
siderable numbers  in  the  early  days,  and  vast  quantities  of  so- 
called  Valley  Tan  leather  made.  Shoe  factories  were  also 
founded,  prominent  among  which  is  the  Z.  C.  M.  I.  Shoe  Fac- 
tory, which  in  1912  turned  out  66,000  pairs  of  men's,  boys'  and 
youths'  boots  and  knock  about  school  shoes.  This  output  is 
valued  at  $170,000  and  the  wages  amount  to  $36,000.  As  an- 
other branch  of  home  industry  may  be  mentioned  the  Z.  C.  M. 
I.  Overalls  Factory,  which  turns  out  overalls  at  the  rate  of  40 
dozen  per  day,  or  about  12,500  dozen  a  year.  I 

One  of  the  main  industries  inaugurated  under  the  guidance  of 
the  Church  was  the  founding  of  co-operative  stores  in  nearly  all 
the  settlements  of  the  saints.  Thus  in  1869  the  great  Zion's 
Co-operative  Mercantile  Institution  was  founded  in  Salt  Lake 
City,  and  for  many  years  it  was  known  as  the  parent  store,  sup- 
plying scores  of  co-operative  stores  established  in  the  different 
settlements  in  the  Rocky  Mountains.  Up  to  1868  private  par- 
ties had  become  wealthy  by  importing  goods  from  the  States 
and  selling  them  in  Salt  Lake  City  and  the  other  settlements  in 
the  mountains  at  fabulous  profits.  By  the  establishment  of  co- 
operative stores,  the  people  were  taught  the  principle  of  self- 
protection,  and  that  it  was  far  more  desirable  and  profitable  to 
trade  in  their  own  interests  than  to  fill  the  coffers  of  merchants 
who  generally  look  too  much  to  their  own  interests.  Until  the 
early  eighties  money  was  exceedingly  scarce  in  Utah,  and  farm 
and  mountain  products  were  taken  by  merchants  in  exchange  for 
their  goods,  and  between  man  and  man  also  the  products  of  the 
farm  and  the  mountains  (in  the  shape  of  wood  and  lumber)  were 
the  common  articles  of  exchange. 

The  Zion's  Cooperative  Mercantile  Institution  was,  in  fact, 
the  pioneer  in  the  movement  for  the  cooperative  selling  of  local 
products,  now  so  largely  followed  throughout  the  country.  It 
was  also  the  first  mercantile  establishment  in  the  Far  West  to 
adopt  the  department  store  plan.  In  1870  its  shoe  factory,  still 
in  operation,  was  first  opened,  and  in  1878,  its  factory  for  the 
manufacture  of  cotton  clothing.  It  is  also  the  accredited  sales 
agent  for  numerous  independent  Utah  manufacturers  of  cloth- 
ing, food  stuffs,  carpets  and  general  articles  of  domestic  use. 
According  to  authoritative  figures,  its  annual  business  transac- 
tions have  for  many  years  averaged  over  $3,000,000,  and  are  at 
the  present  time  over  $6,000,000.  Although  not  cooperative  in 
the  sense  that  its  profits  are  divided  with  the  public,  it  is  a  noble 
example  of  the  fact  that  a  large  and  productive  enterprise  may 


134  THE  REAL  MORMONISM 

be  built  up  on  the  principle  of  assisting  home  industries  and  em- 
ploying home  labor.  In  this  sense,  it  is  cooperative  as  including 
the  entire  local  public  in  the  advantages  of  its  operations.  It 
was  for  the  distinct  and  definite  purpose  of  thus  benefitting  the 
people  and  local  industries,  that  Brigham  Young  founded  the  in- 
stitution and  influenced  the  needed  capital  in  its  behalf. 

In  1849  the  so-called  Perpetual  Immigrating  Fund  Company- 
was  organized  for  the  purpose  of  helping  converts  to  Mormon- 
ism  in  Europe  and  the  United  States  who  had  not  the  means  to 
come  to  Utah;  and  hundreds  of  thousands  of  dollars  of  Church 
money  were  expended  at  an  early  day  to  bring  immigrants  across 
the  oceans,  plains  and  mountains.  From  i860  to  1868  wagons 
were  annually  sent  to  the  Missouri  river  after  the  poor.  Each 
wagon,  as  a  rule,  was  hauled  by  four  yoke  of  cattle,  or  from 
two  to  four  span  of  horses  or  mules.  About  50  such  teams 
were  sent  out  in  i860;  upwards  of  200  wagons,  with  four  yoke 
of  cattle  to  each,  carrying  150,000  lbs.  of  flour,  were  sent  in 
1861 ;  262  wagons,  293  men,  2,880  oxen,  and  143,315  lbs.  of 
flour  were  forwarded  in  1862;  284  wagons,  488  men,  3,604  oxen, 
taking  335,969  lbs.  of  flour,  were  sent  in  1863 ;  about  170  wagons 
were  sent  in  1864;  397  wagons,  10  captains,  456  teamsters,  49 
mounted  guards,  89  horses,  134  mules,  and  3,042  oxen  were  sent 
in  1866;  besides  these,  62  wagons,  50  oxen  and  61  mules  were 
purchased  by  the  Church  in  the  States  that  year  to  assist  the 
emigration  across  the  plains.  About  five  hundred  teams,  partly 
mule  teams  and  partly  ox  teams,  were  sent  by  the  Church  to  the 
terminus  of  the  Union  Pacific  Railroad  up  to  1868  to  help  the 
poor  migrating  saints  to  the  valleys  of  Utah. 

In  early  days,  when  the  settlers  of  Utah  were  troubled  with 
Indian  depredations,  the  Church  came  to  the  front  most  lib- 
erally with  its  means  to  protect  them  and,  in  some  instances,  to 
reimburse  them  for  the  losses  sustained  during  the  Indian  wars. 
This  was  particularly  the  case  in  the  so-called  Walker  Wars  in 
1853,  the  Tintic  War  in  1856,  and  the  Black  Hawk  War  in  1865- 
1872. 

In  1867  President  Brigham  Young  took  a  contract  to  build 
90  miles  of  grade  on  the  Union  Pacific  Railroad,  in  order  to  give 
employment  to  the  people  of  Utah  whose  crops  had  been  de- 
stroyed by  grasshoppers.  President  Young  relet  the  grading  to 
smaller  contractors  who  in  turn  employed  thousands  of  men 
from  the  different  settlements  of  the  saints  in  the  mountains. 
This  enabled  the  people  to  buy  breadstuffs  from  the  States,  and 
thus  the  famine  that  threatened  on  account  of  the  devastations  of 
the  grasshoppers  was  averted. 
/  The  opening  of  the  transcontinental  railroad  brought  non- 


TEMPORAL  SALVATION  135 

Mormon  settlers  and  traders  in  large  numbers,  and  brought  about 
serious  conditions  of  competition  with  home  industries,  which, 
as  already  stated,  created  the  need  for  local  self -protection,  and 
led  to  the  founding  of  the  Z.  C.  M.  I. 

There  are  at  the  present  time  615  cities,  towns,  villages  and 
neighborhoods  (or  706  regularly  organized  wards)  in  the  United 
States,  Canada,  and  Mexico,  which  have  been  founded  and  built 
up  principally  by  the  frugality,  industry  and  unison  of  the  Mor- 
mon people,  directed  by  the  authorities  of  the  Church.  Of 
these  settlements  333  are  situated  in  Utah,  166  in  Idaho,  31  in 
Arizona,  6  in  Colorado,  10  in  Nevada,  2y  in  Wyoming,  7  in 
Oregon,  5  in  New  Mexico,  22  in  Alberta,  Canada,  and  8  in  Old 
Mexico. 

The  grand  results  accomplished  by  the  splendid  organization 
of  the  Latter-day  Saints,  the  actual  sense  of  fellowship  that 
exists  among  them,  and  the  creditable  faithfulness  of  their  of- 
ficers, are  only  too  evident  for  denial  or  depreciation.  That 
they  have  a  significance  to  the  sociologist  and  moralist,  as  well 
as  to  the  statesman  and  religionist,  is  evident.  Even  anti-Mor- 
mons are  bound  to  acknowledge  these  facts.    Thus: 

"The  Dry  Gulch  District,  of  which  Rooseveh  is  the  centre,  is  the 
'Mormon'  part  of  the  reservation,  and  that  explains  why  it  has  made 
more  progress  than  the  rest  of  the  country.  The  wonderful  organization 
of  the  Mormon  Church  enforces  a  spirit  of  cooperation  unknown  in 
Gentile  communities.  Under  these  leaders  in  six  years  (for  settlement 
did  not  really  begin  until  1906)  the  Latter-day  Saints  have  constructed 
223  miles  of  irrigating  canals  and  lateral  ditches  at  a  cost  of  $300,000. 
Possibly  the  Gentile  settlers  secured  better  lands  than  the  Mormons, 
but  in  their  most  promising  sections  they  were  unable  to  agree  as  to 
methods,  and  having  spent  on  living  expenses  most  of  the  money 
they  brought  into  the  country  with  them,  are  now  in  a  precarious  con- 
dition, existing  on  the  hope  that  some  day  they  will  get  water  on  their 
lands. 

"  In  the  Church  of  Jesus  Christ  of  Latter-day  Saints,  90  per  cent, 
of  the  men  are  officers.  The  presidents  and  bishops  are  the  leading 
business  men.  They  are  able  to  back  up  their  business  judgment  as  to 
the  course  to  be  taken  with  the  influence  they  have  as  heads  of  the 
Church.  They  are  well  known  to  the  higher  authorities  in  Salt  Lake, 
who  are  also  both  religious  and  financial  leaders,  and  are  so  able  to  bor- 
row from  the  bank  on  fair  terms  the  needed  capital." — Bishop  F,  S. 
Spalding  {"  Spirit  of  Missions^'  December,  1912.) 

The  inestimable  value  of  cooperation  is  well  exampled  in  such 
a  passage  as  this.  It  is  the  kind  of  thing  that  has  been  advo- 
cated by  the  wisest  and  best  of  mankind  in  both  ancient  and 
modem  times,  but  never  realized,  even  with  the  best-intentioned 
and  most  cleverly  contrived  schemes  of  social  reformation.  It 
is  the  order  that  must  prevail  eventually,  if,  indeed,  the  human 
race  is  to  continue  its  progress  to  rational  civilization.  But  this 
dream  of  the  wise  and  the  good  has  been  made  a  reality  only  by 


136  THE  REAL  MORMONISM 

the  hated  Mormons.  In  spite  of  all  this,  we  are  still  told,  in  the 
words  of  Christ,  "  by  their  fruits  ye  shall  know  them."  Further 
details  of  the  Mormon  plan  are  brought  out  in  the  following 
from  another  non-Mormon  writer: 

"The  bond  of  religion  is  greater  than  all  others,  for  it  is  the  bond 
of  love,  and  the  Mormon  people  have  proven  that  whatever  difficulties 
may  arise  among  them  or  between  them,  {here  is  something  higher 
and  better  than  mere  will  power,  that  will  adjust  the  trouble  and  adjust 
it  amicably.  Perhaps  few  peoples  in  all  the  earth  have  so  typified 
that  .  .  .  allegory  which  teaches  that  '  the  more  the  wolves  of  adversity 
howl,  the  closer  will  the  sheep  get  together  in  the  fold.' 

"The  Church  of  Jesus  Christ  of  Latter-day  Saints  is  not  aggres- 
sively seeking  out  promising  regions  where  irrigation  and  arid  farm- 
ing may  be  exploited,  and  thus  make  new  communities  possible  here  and 
there  throughout  the  country,  but  it  is  holding  a  much  more  paternal 
attitude  toward  those  of  its  followers  who  have  gone  forth  to  subdue 
the  desert;  and  it  is  always  ready  to  lend  an  assisting  hand  wherever 
expedient,  to  prevent  the  disintegration  of  an  established  community, 
or  to  assist  in  the  upbuilding,  or  exploiting,  of  a  new  one  that  seems 
to  be  in  need  of  help.  Especially  is  this  the  case  where,  through  some 
unfortunate  circumstance,  the  people  are  about  to  lose  heavily,  and 
thus  be  sorely  crippled  in  their  work. 

"The  Mormon  people  have  always  assumed  the  honest  attitude  that 
*all  we  want  is  a  chance  to  help  ourselves,'  and  the  Church  has  al- 
ways assumed  the  attitude  that  *our  temporal  interest  in  our  people 
is  to  help  them  to  help  themselves.'  Even  where  outside  help  must 
be  taken  into  a  region  to  builtii  the  irrigation  system,  capital  is  usually 
very  glad  to  step  in,  for  it  has  learned  that  the  Mormon  farmer  is  a 
good  investment.  The  Church  steps  in  only  where  some  special  work 
is  desired,  or  where  it  does  so  for  the  sole  purpose  of  assisting  those 
who  are  in  trouble;  whose  canal  companies  are  about  to  go  into  bank- 
ruptcy, or  whose  dams  are  broken,  or  whose  fields  have  been  inundated, 
or  whose  crops  have  failed,  or  who  are  rendered  helpless  by  any  dire 
circumstances.  These  the  Church  helps  with  no  expectation  of  an 
equitable  monetary  return. 

"  The  colonization  work  during  the  past  few  years  has  perhaps 
been  most  important  and  most  extensive  in  eastern  Wasatch  county, 
in  the  ecclesiastical  district  known  as  the  Duchesne  Stake  of  Zion.  .  .  . 
President  Smart,  who  was  transferred  from  the  Heber  (Wasatch) 
Stake  at  the  opening  of  the  reservation  six  years  ago,  has  spent  most 
of  his  time  on  questions  of  colonisation,  encouraging  the  settlers,  as- 
sisting in  the  promotion  of  the  many  canal  systems,  and  in  locating 
the  various  townsites,  postoffices  and  business  corporations  and  com- 
panies. .  .  .  The  Mormon  people  have  been  the  organizers  and  main- 
stays of  most  of  the  canal  systems,  holding  most  of  the  important 
positions  in  them.  Nearly  all  these  companies  are  incorporated,  and 
they  have  been,  or  are  being,  constructed  under  the  Mormon  coopera- 
tion plan,  by  which  the  homesteaders  build  the  canal,  and  when  it  is 
completed  they  own  it." — /.  Cecil  Alter  {"Latter-day  Colonising  by 
Latter-day  Saints,*'  Desert  Evening  News,  Dec.  i6,  191 1,  p.  94). 

This  interesting  article  then  proceeds  to  example  and  describe 
several  typical  instances  of  Church  assistance  given  to  strug- 
gling colonists,  all  of  which  typify  the  consistent  policy  of  the 
authorities   of   assisting,   without  beggaring  or   humiliating  its 


TEMPORAL  SALVATION  137 

beneficiaries,  and  keeping  always  in  view  that  the  truest,  indeed 
the  only  real,  benevolence  is  that  which  "  helps  people  to  help 
themselves."  Happy  the  people  among  whom  such  a  theory  of 
benevolence  is  practicable  and  operative!  It  is  immeasurably 
ahead  of  the  so-called  **  scientific  "  charity,  now  in  vogue  in  most 
Christian  communities  and  which  is,  apparently,  most  useful  in 
furnishing  excuses  for  not  giving.  From  another  point  of  view, 
also,  the  Mormon  Church  method  of  assisting,  financially  or 
otherwise,  deals  largely  with  concerns,  which,  among  other  peo- 
ple, are  not  recognized  matters  for  benevolence  in  any  sense. 
If,  for  example,  a  community  in  any  part  of  the  country  is 
afflicted  by  a  flood,  an  earthquake,  a  fire,  or  any  other  natural 
calamity,  the  assistance  of  the  public  is  readily  forthcoming. 
The  benevolently  minded,  as  well  as  those  who  "  give  their  alms 
to  be  seen  of  men,"  discover  a  laudable  activity.  If,  however, 
the  prosperity  of  such  a  community  is  merely  threatened,  and 
no  more  spectacular  ill  fortune  is  imminent  than  mere  business 
embarrassment,  the  so-called  Christian  public  sees  here  no  call 
for  benevolent  assistance.  People  in  such  straits  are  invariably 
referred  to  the  "business  men,"  who  view  the  situation  wholly 
from  the  point  of  view  of  investment  possibilities,  and,  if  they 
assist  at  all,  it  is  only  on  the  basis  of  owing  outright,  or  lending 
with  prospects  of  ample  returns,  on  good  collateral.  The 
wealthy  charity-monger,  who  endows  colleges  and  builds  libra- 
ries, sees  no  field  in  helping  people  to  live,  or  even  in  forward- 
ing enterprises  not  regularly  represented  by  underwritten  securi- 
ties. We  must  credit  the  Mormons,  therefore,  with  the  discov- 
ery, as  well  as,  to  date,  the  virtual  monopoly,  of  a  new,  a  worthy, 
and,  as  it  will  soon  seem,  a  highly  necessary  order  of  practical 
well-doing.  If  their  method  of  benevolence  could  be  made  to 
appeal  to  the  general  public,  which  vaunts  itself  possessed  of  the 
"  only  true  Christianity,"  there  would  be  far  fewer  social  prob- 
lems among  us,  also  far  less  socialism,  reactionism  and  discon- 
tent. However,  our  keen  sense  of  "  stewardship,"  which  is  a 
term  invented  to  cloak  our  essential  stinginess  and  real  indiffer- 
ence, prevents  the  spread  of  any  such  real  charity  among  us. 
It  is  quite  evident  that  we  need  a  slight  tincture  of  the  sentiment 
of  practical  humanity.  The  Mormon  method  is  outlined  as  fol- 
lows: 

"The  greatest  percentage  of  increase  in  population  during  the  past 
10  years  in  Utah  was  shown  by  San  Juan  County,  the  increase  being 
132.4  per  cent.  The  Bluff  precinct,  made  up  mostly  of  Mormon  set- 
tlers and  ranchers,  showed  an  increase  in  population  of  nearly  500 
per  cent.  Some  difficulty  had  been  experienced  by  the  Saints  here,  as 
their  dams  have  given  way  and,  were  it  not  for  the  fact  that  their  ap- 
peal to  the  First  Presidency  was  quite  substantially  answered,  part  of 


138  THE  REAL  MORMONISM 

this  section  might  have  been  abandoned.  The  Church  did  not  invest 
its  money,  but  simply  gave  it  to  them  for  repairing  their  canals  and 
dams.  The  Hammond  Irrigation  Company  was  substantially  assisted 
by  the  Church,  and  so  was  the  Red  Mesa  Company,  and  the  Bluff  Ward 
dam.  As  a  prominent  Church  official  puts  it :  *  It  is  the  Church  policy 
to  assist  all  its  people,  and  where  dams  wash  out  and  ditches  get  ruined 
by  floods,  the  Church  steps  in  and  prevents  the  wrecking  of  the  com- 
munity ;  it  sustains  its  people  in  the  work  they  have  attempted.' " —  Ibid. 

We  may  see  from  instances  such  as  this  that  the  Mormon 
Church  proposes,  not  only  to  preach  the  Gospel,  as  it  beHeves 
that  it  has  received  it,  but  also  to  act  as  the  representative  of 
God,  in  a  very  real  and  righteous  sense.  It  attempts,  honestly 
and  consistently,  to  embody  divine  providence  to  struggling 
humanity.  Therefore,  this  Church  must  be  credited  with  an- 
other excellent  revision  of  the  theory  and  practice  of  religion: 
it  holds  that  God  has  appointed  it,  not  only  to  herald  his  v^ill  to 
mankind,  as  a  real  and  vital  law,  but  has  also  established  it  as  a 
medium  on  earth,  whereby  the  prayer  of  need  and  trouble  may 
be  answered.  If  the  Mormon  authorities  do  not  believe  that  in 
giving  money  thus  to  help  their  struggling  people,  they  are  act- 
ing for  God,  and  that  God  is  the  real  Giver  of  it  all,  they  are 
merely  wasting  their  funds :  these  they  could  readily  retain,  and 
yet  do  as  much  as  other  bodies  professing  the  Christian  name. 
In  another  point  such  transactions  are  significant.  They  show 
the  real  disposition  of  a  good  part  of  the  monies  received  for 
tithing  and  other  donations,  which  so  grievously  excites  the 
anxiety  of  non-Mormon  agitators  for  "  right  and  justice " 
who  are  afraid  that  the  Mormons  are  being  *'  imposed  upon." 

The  wholly  unique  character  of  the  cooperation  of  the  Mor- 
mon Church  in  the  life-affairs  of  its  people  is  acknowledged,  by 
force  of  simple  honesty  of  character,  by  Episcopal  Bishop  F.  S. 
Spalding  in  the  article  previously  quoted.  In  continuing  his 
account  of  colonizing  in  the  Uintah  Basin,  he  says: 

"  Practically  the  system  produces  this  good  result :  the  leading  Mor- 
mon officers  are  compelled  to  take  a  more  helpful  interest  in  the 
worldly  prosperity  of  their  poor  brethren  than  is  taken  by  the  wealthy 
and  influential  members  of  the  other  societies  which  profess  and  call 
themselves  Christians.  No  doubt  their  Church  influence  gives  them  a 
chance  to  become  rich  themselves,  but  so  far,  in  the  Uintah  Basin,  the 
leaders  in  this  system  of  ecclesiastical  finance  seem  to  have  earned 
their  reward." 

If,  as  the  Bishop  assumes,  the  authorities  are  "  compelled " 
to  take  this  "  more  helpful  interest,"  it  might  seem  that  the 
compulsion  came  in  the  line  of  trying,  in  a  way,  at  least,  to 
**  live  up  to "  a  somewhat  higher  ideal  of  service  than  is  in- 
stilled into  the  minds  of  the  "  wealthy  and  influential  members 
of  the  other  societies."  Living  up  to  ideals  is  often  arduous, 
but  the  fact  that  these  authorities  yield  so  gracefully  and  uncom- 


TEMPORAL  SALVATION  139 

plainingly  to  this  "  compulsion  "  is  certainly  creditable.  It  may 
be,  in  spite  of  the  Bishop's  confident  statement,  that  these  au- 
thorities really  believe  that  this  "  helpful  interest "  is  an  essen- 
tial part  of  their  duties. 

Mr.  Alter  continues  his  interesting  discussion  of  Mormon 
colonization  projects  with  the  following,  selected  from  a  number 
mentioned  by  him: 

"At  Teasdale,  Wayne  county,  a  large  tract  of  land  was  slowly  but 
surely  slipping  away  from  the  Mormon  settlers  there,  and  the  Church 
authorities  stepped  in  and  bought  the  land  —  the  Mansfield  ranch  — 
and  sold  it  back  to  the  settlers  at  practically  their  own  terms.  This 
move  was  purely  philanthropic  on  the  part  of  the  Church.  .  .  .  An 
irrigation  project,  and  a  thrifty  Mormon  community  was  made  possible 
in  the  fertile  Star  valley,  Wyoming,  just  north  of  Afton,  by  reason  of 
the  fact  that  the  irrigation  bonds  were  bought  by  the  Church  at  a 
reasonable  figure.  An  irrigation  company  at  Oneida,  Idaho,  was  em- 
barrassed, and  the  Church  aided  it,  and  made  possible  the  continuance 
of  the  homes  of  a  great  many  settlers  there  by  redeeming  the  irriga- 
tion bonds.  The  Church  bought  the  receiver's  bonds  of  the  Hammond 
canal  near  Collinston,  and  thus  saved  a  large  community  from  ruin  or 
disintegration." 

In  spite  of  the  fact  that  the  Church  authorities  seem  con- 
stantly willing  to  assist  struggling  settlers  in  their  efforts  to 
keep  their  homes,  whether  this  assistance  comes  by  "  compul- 
sion "  or  some  other  motive,  it  is  a  real  pleasure  to  find  that  the 
people  do  not  always  seek  this  help,  so  long  as  they  can  help 
themselves  by  their  own  efforts.  Whatever  may  be  the  motives 
of  the  leaders,  they  certainly  succeed  in  fostering  and  main- 
taining a  spirit  of  cooperation  among  their  followers  that  is 
worthy  all  acceptation.  If  they  do,  or  have  done,  nothing  else 
under  the  sun,  they  have  inestimably  benefitted  the  world  by 
demonstrating  that  the  social  problems  of  the  day  are  not  in- 
soluble, and  that,  in  one  comer  of  the  world,  at  least,  they  have 
been  really  solved.  Our  sociological  theorists  have  clearly  dis- 
cerned the  fact  that  cooperation  is  the  real  solution  of  the  evils 
of  society,  but  Mormonism  has  shown  a  way  in  which  coopera- 
tion may  be  rationally  achieved,  without  vain  attempts  to  revise 
human  nature,  by  laws  or  ''  scientific "  preachments,  or  by  at- 
tacking and  attempting  to  remodel  social  institutions.  The 
world  may  yet  be  thankful  that  someone  "  compelled  "  the  Mor- 
mon authorities  to  follow  their  chosen  course  of  action  in  this 
matter. 

In  discussing  this  aspect  of  the  case,  Mr.  Alter  gives  the 
following  instance,  which  is  only  typical  of  Mormon  life  and 
methods : 

"  The  community  system  of  the  Mormons  in  revising  the  old  adage 

about    everybody's   business   being   nobody's   business,   and   making   it 

'everybody's  business  is  everybody's  business,'  has  saved  the  town  of 


I40  THE  REAL  MORMONISM 

Kanab  mai?y  thousands  of  dollars  and  many  hundreds  of  settlers.  The 
irrigation  dam  went  out  there  recently  and  the  community  worked  to 
a  man  in  replacing  it,  without  pay,  and  instead  of  losing  two  crops  and 
having  to  abandon  their  homes,  they  lost  only  part  of  one  crop,  and 
kept  each  other  so  well  encouraged  that  not  one  deserted." 

The  climax  of  Mr.  Alter's  discussion  is  reached  in  the  follow- 
ing, which  merely  states  facts  familiar  in  all  Utah : 

"  Perhaps  the  most  successful  individual  colonization  proposition 
that  has  been  attempted  by  the  Mormon  people  in  the  United  States 
is  the  Hawaiian  colony  at  losepa  (the  Hawaiian  pronunciation  of 
Joseph)  in  Tooele  county.  It  is  located  almost  on  the  border  of  what 
the  older  maps  show  as  the  great  American  desert,  and  yet  if  ever  there 
was  a  place  that  is  truly  typical  of  the  desert  blossoming  as  the  rose, 
it  is  losepa  —  the  old  hunter's  ranch  and  trader's  camp  known  as  the 
John  T.  Rich  ranch,  in  the  desolate  barrenness  of  Skull  Valley. 

"  There  are  1,120  acres  practically  all  in  use,  and  half  as  much  more 
that  is  being  brought  under  the  magic  wand  of  the  Hawaiian  irrigator. 
Hbwever,  the  history  of  this  place  does  not  give  the  credit  to  the 
Hawaiians  —  it  gives  them  the  opportunity,  instead.  Several  years  ago, 
a  few  wholesouled,  honest  fellows,  among  them  Will  G.  Farrell,  Henry 
P.  Richards,  W.  W.  Cluff,  and  H.  H.  Cluflf,  both  of  whom  had  done 
missionary  work  in  the  Hawaiian  Islands,  noticed  with  some  regret  that 
many  Hawaiian  converts  were  being  knocked  about  the  towns  of 
the  state,  losing  money  and  often  their  manhood  by  being  thrown 
into  circumstances  which  they  didn't  apparently  know  how  to  con- 
trol. These  returned  missionaries  had  a  little  money,  and  knew  how 
to  get  more,  and  were  farmers  at  heart,  so  they  laid  a  proposition 
before  the  First  Presidency  to  colonize  the  Hawaiians  in  Skull  Valley. 
Needless  to  say,  it  was  done.  Every  Hawaiian  in  the  United  States 
who  had  come  here  to  be  nearer  the  Mormon  people  was  given  the 
opportunity  to  go  there  and  move  into  a  house  that  was  built  for  him, 
and  his  family,  and  work  on  the  ranch  at  good  wages,  and  have,  be- 
sides, a  large  garden  patch  for  his  own  use. 

"  The  story  of  losepa  is  a  story  in  itself.  Suffice  it  to  say  that  to-day 
the  several  hundred  folks  there  have  water  in  their  houses  just  the 
same  as  we  have  in  Salt  Lake  City,  and  a  power  plant  will  sometime 
give  them  their  electric  lights.  Their  schools  and  meetinghouses  are 
as  good  as  the  best,  .  .  .  and  since  they  grow  their  own  food  and  raise 
their  own  animals,  they  are  far  better  off  than  many  farmers  who  have 
lived  in  this  country  all  their  lives.  The  Mormon  people  conceived 
the  plan  for  them,  and  the  Church  made  its  perfection  possible. 

"  At  a  recent  annual  celebration  there  by  the  Hawaiians,  when  Presi- 
dent Joseph  F.  Smith,  Gov.  William  Spry,  and  other  men  of  prominence 
attended,  Lorenzo  D.  Creel,  a  government  Indian  official  from  Wash- 
ington, who  was  studying  the  Indians  in  Tooele  county  at  the  time,  rose 
before  the  great  Hawaiian,  uniformed  audience,  after  having  been 
shown  all  over  the  place,  and,  with  much  feeling,  said : 

"  'My  friends,  if  this  is  a  sample  of  the  Mormon  colonization  work, 
the  best  thing  the  government  of  the  United  States  could  do,  would 
be  to  assist  them  in  every  way  possible.' " 

The  facts  set  forth  in  the  foregoing  passages  suggest  strongly 
that  the  truth  involved  in  the  vast  and  successful  colonizing 
activities  of  the  Latter-day  Saints  is  merely  a  necessary  corol- 
lary to  their  wonderful  and  nearly  unique  solidarity,  which  im- 


TEMPORAL  SALVATION  141 

pels  them  to  form  communities  and  conduct  them  in  accordance 
with  their  own  principles,  rather  than  the  result  in  any  sense  of 
musterings,  under  direction  of  recognized  authorities  for  pur- 
poses political  or  otherwise.  While  it  is  unnecessary  to  discuss 
the  charges  to  this  effect  made  by  stupid  and  prejudiced  writers, 
it  is  eminently  to  the  point  to  indicate  the  fact  that  colonizing 
by  Mormons,  and  the  successful  founding  of  settlements  by 
them  was  carried  on,  long  before  the  suspicion  of  political  sig- 
nificance could  have  been  urged;  also  that  many  settlements 
made  by  them  have  since  grown  into  thriving  cities  under  other 
auspices.  The  following  outline  of  Mormon  colonizing  activi- 
ties was  compiled  from  authoritative  historical  sources,  ex- 
pressly for  use  in  the  present  volume. 

"  Besides  building  up  Independence,  Missouri,  the  Mormon  people 
established  farming  settlements  in  the  neighborhood  of  the  Big  Blue, 
immediately  southeast  of  the  present  location  of  Kansas  City;  and  in 
the  course  of  a  couple  of  years  nearly  1,200  members  of  the  Church 
from  New  York,  Ohio,  and  other  states,  had  located  in  Jackson  County, 
Missouri. 

"  After  their  expulsion  by  mobs  from  their  homes  in  Jackson  County 
in  1833  and  Clay  County  in  1836,  the  Saints  migrated  into  an  uninhabited 
part  of  upper  Missouri,  which  was  subsequently  organized  into  Caldwell 
and  Daviess  counties.  In  the  first  named  county  the  people  founded 
Far  West,  which  grew  to  contain  nearly  two  thousand  inhabitants,  and 
a  number  of  smaller  settlements;  in  Daviess  County,  at  a  place  called 
Spring  Hill  they  founded  the  short-lived  city  of  Adam-ondi-Ahman. 
Altogether  about  12,000  Latter-day  Saints  settled  in  upper  Missouri, 
principally  in  Caldwell  County,  during  the  years  1836,  1837,  and  1838; 
and  nearly  the  whole  region  was  transformed  from  a  naked  prairie  into 
flourishing  farms. 

"  While  these  colonization  schemes  were  being  carried  on  in  Missouri, 
the  Church  authorities  were  busy  founding  another  flourishing  settle- 
ment in  Geauga  County,  Ohio ;  where  they  built  a  little  city  which  grew 
so  rapidly  from  183 1  to  1838  that  at  the  later  date  it  contained  over 
two  thousand  inhabitants.  Here  a  number  of  industries  were  started  to 
give  employment  to  the  people.  Another  printing  office  was  established 
and  an  imposing  house  of  worship,  known  as  the  Kirtland  Temple,  was 
erected. 

"Under  pressure  of  persecution  the  saints  were  compelled  to  leave 
their  Ohio  possessions  in  1838,  and  those  in  Missouri  in  1839.  Under 
the  trying  circumstances  which  surrounded  the  Mormon  people  at  the 
time  of  their  expulsion  from  Missouri,  the  spirit  of  brotherly  love  and 
mutual  helpfulness  was  manifested  in  a  most  practicable  way;  and  in 
the  absence  of  the  head  of  the  Church,  the  Prophet  Joseph  Smith,  who 
at  that  time  was  unlawfully  incarcerated  in  Liberty  Jail,  Brigham 
Young  at  that  time  President  of  the  Council  of  the  Twelve  Apostles,  en- 
tered into  a  covenant  with  other  leading  men  of  the  Church  in  Missouri 
to  extend  aid  to  each  other  and  to  the  community  as  a  whole  until,  if 
they  found  it  necessary,  they  had  spent  the  last  farthing  they  owned  in 
assisting  their  co-religionists  out  of  the  State  of  Missouri.  By  this 
united  effort  all  of  the  saints  who  came  under  the  ban  of  Governor 
Bogg's  exterminating  order  left  the  State. 
"After   the  expulsion   of  the   Mormon  people   from   the   State   of 


142  THE  REAL  MORMONISM 

Missouri,  the  greater  part  of  the  Church  membership  gathered  on  the 
east  bank  of  the  Mississippi  River  in  Hancock  County,  Illinois,  where 
they  founded  the  beautiful  City  of  Nauvoo.  When  the  saints  moved 
into  that  locality  in  1839  there  were  but  few  settlers  in  the  county,  and 
some  of  these  had  established  themselves  in  a  village  called  Com- 
merce. The  saints  bought  out  the  claims  of  most  of  these  people  and 
transformed  the  unthrifty  village  into  the  City  of  Nauvoo.  This  was 
in  1840;  by  1846  Nauvoo  contained  about  15,000  inhabitants.  By  this 
time  immigration  had  brought  many  members  of  the  Church  from  most 
of  the  states  of  the  Union,  as  also  from  Great  Britain.  In  the  building 
up  of  a  city  of  the  dimensions  of  Nauvoo,  many  industrial  undertakings 
were  of  necessity  started;  among  these  industries  may  be  mentioned 
the  opening  of  a  splendid  stone  quarry  (from  which  the  stone  for 
the  Nauvoo  Temple  and  other  public,  as  well  as  for  many  private  build- 
ings in  Nauvoo,  was  quarried)  ;  the  founding  of  a  pottery,  carpenter 
and  cabinet  shops,  blacksmith  shops,  etc.,  especially  may  be  mentioned 
also  a  number  of  flour  mills  which  were  built  in  Illinois  and  Iowa  by 
Fred  Kesler,  a  prominent  Mormon,  and  others. 

"  With  the  expulsion  of  the  Church  from  Nauvoo  in  1846  the  saints 
were  forced  into  all  experiences  incident  to  pioneer  life  in  the  course 
of  which  they  established  many  settlements  in  the  wilderness.  Thus  in 
1846  they  located  what  soon  became  a  prosperous  town.  Garden  Grove, 
Decatur  County,  Iowa ;  this  stands  to-day  as  a  town  of  importance. 
They  founded  also  Mount  Pisgah,  in  Union  County,  and  Council  Bluffs 
(originally  called  Kainesville  by  the  Mormons),  in  Pottawattamie 
County,  besides  a  great  number  of  smaller  settlements  in  the  county  last 
named.  In  speaking  of  the  exodus  from  Nauvoo  and  the  founding  of 
temporary  settlements  of  Garden  Grove  and  Mount  Pisgah,  the  fact 
may  be  here  emphasized  that  the  leaders  of  the  Church  planned  these 
two  settlements  in  the  spring  of  1846  from  the  labors  of  the  advanced 
companies  traveling  westward;  and  with  these  companies  sowed  and 
planted  several  hundred  acres  of  land  and  then  left  their  fields  to  be 
harvested  by  the  companies  that  followed  later  in  the  season.  Such 
action,  prompted  by  brother  love,  was  continuously  manifested  by  the 
exiled  saints  toward  one  another  throughout  all  their  experiences  in 
the  wilderness  and  long  after  their  location  in  the  valleys  of  the  Rocky 
Mountains. 

"On  the  west  side  of  the  Missouri  River  in  what  is  now  Douglas 
County,  Nebraska,  the  saints  founded  a  temporary  settlement  in  1846; 
this  they  called  Winter  Quarters.  This  settlement  grew  until  it  be- 
came the  present  city  of  Florence,  situated  about  six  miles  northerly 
from  Omaha.  In  these  settlements  between  the  years  1846  and  1852 
inclusive,  industries  of  different  kinds  besides  the  general  occupation  of 
farming  were  introduced  among  the  people  by  the  leaders  of  the  Church ; 
by  this  means  employment  was  given  to  thousands. 

"While  on  this  march  of  exile  through  Iowa,  and  locating  them- 
selves temporarily  on  the  banks  of  the  Missouri,  the  Mormons  re- 
sponded to  a  call  from  the  United  States  government  for  500  men,  to 
participate  in  the  war  with  Mexico;  and  while  the  famous  march  to 
California  by  this  battalion  of  men  can  not  consistently  be  classed  as 
a  Mormon  industry,  yet  these  500  men  made  a  march  unequaled  in  the 
history  of  modern  military  travel  and  made  a  new  road  a  great  portion 
of  the  way  between  Fort  Leavenworth  and  San  Diego,  California. 

"Again,  while  the  bulk  of  the  saints  were  leaving  Nauvoo  and 
dwelling  temporarily  in  the  wilderness,  a  company  of  Mormons  number- 
ing upwards  of  200  souls  sailed  from  New  York  in  the  historic  ship 


TEMPORAL  SALVATION  143 

Brooklyn,  doubled  Cape  Horn  and  landed  July  31,  1846,  at  the  little 
Spanish  village,  Yerba  Buena.  Having  brought  with  them  all  kinds 
of  implements,  machinery,  etc.,  for  the  purpose  of  founding  a  new 
colony,  they  soon  changed  the  little  insignificant  village  of  Yerba  Buena 
to  an  American  town  which  was  called  San  Francisco  and  here  was 
published  the  first  paper  of  any  importance  ever  issued  in  California  in 
the  English  language.  It  was  called  the  California  Star  and  edited 
by  Samuel  Brannan,  a  Mormon  Elder.  It  is  not  generally  known  that 
the  Mormons  to  the  extent  here  mentioned  practically  were  the  found- 
ers of  the  great  city  San  Francisco.  The  saints  who  came  in  the 
Brooklyn  also  located  a  flourishing  settlement  on  the  San  Joaquin 
River,  near  where  the  town  of  San  Jose  now  stands. 

"  In  the  meantime  the  migration  of  the  bulk  of  the  Mormon  people 
westward  from  their  temporary  locations  on  the  Missouri  river,  took 
place  and  the  consequence  was  the  founding  of  Salt  Lake  City,  in 
1847 ;  the  founding  of  Ogden  in  1848,  the  founding  of  Provo  and  Manti 
in  1849,  the  founding  of  Parowan  in  185 1,  and  the  founding  of  hun- 
dreds of  other  settlements  during  the  years  following.  The  founding 
of  these  early  settlements  of  Utah  without  money  as  a  means  of  ex- 
change again  suggests  true  communism  in  its  broadest  sense.  Labor  was 
in  the  beginning  the  only  medium  used  to  determine  value  between  man 
and  man.  Afterwards  the  products  of  the  farm  came  into  use  as  the 
basis  of  barter  and  trade.  There  was  no  compulsion  in  the  com- 
munity, thus  to  labor  in  unison,  but  the  people  of  their  own  free  will 
and  choice  united  under  a  common  leadership  to  construct  dams  and 
ditches,  build  school  houses  and  churches,  etc.,  and  in  this  manner 
the  foundation  was  laid  for  the  commonwealth  now  extending  its  in- 
fluence and  industries  throughout  the  whole  length  and  breadth  of 
the  intermountain  region.  As  early  as  185 1  settlements  were  also 
founded  by  the  Mormons  in  Carson  Valley,  Nevada.  In^  1853  they 
founded  their  first  settlement  in  a  tract  of  country  now  included  in 
the  State  of  Wyoming.  In  1855  in  what  subsequently  has  become 
Lemhi  Co.,  Idaho,  they  founded  the  famous  Ft.  Limhi,  on  the  Salmon 
river,  a  tributary  of  the  Columbia.  This  was  the  beginning  of  the 
numerous  cities  and  towns  founded  by  the  Mormons  in  the  great 
Snake  River  Valley  and  other  localities  in  Idaho. 

"  In  1875  the  Mormons  commenced  to  colonize  Arizona  by  locating 
a  settlement  in  Salt  River,  and  the  following  year  (1876)  they  located 
four  towns  on  the  Little  Colorado  River. 

"The  settlement  of  San  Bernardino,  in  California,  which  in  a  few 
years  grew  to  be  a  flourishing  town  and  is  now  a  noted  city  of  southern 
California  was  founded  by  the  Mormons  in  1851. 

"  Settlements  have  also  been  founded  by  the  saints  in  New  Mexico, 
Texas,  Oregon,  and  Montana.    The  policy  of  the  Church  leaders  from 
the  beginning  has  been  to  make  the  Latter-day  Saints  an  industrious 
and    self-sustaining    people.    This    policy   was    particularly   put   to    its 
practical  test  by  the   late   Pres.   Brigham  Young  who   ranks  as  one 
of  the  greatest  pioneers  that  western  America  has  ever  known.    His 
watchword  was  home-industry  and  he  discouraged  idleness  and  pauper- 
ism, in  all  its  phases." — Manuscript  Article  from  the  Church  Historian. 
In  way  of   correctly  representing  the  situation,  encouraging 
as  it  may  appear  on  any  terms,  it  must  be  stated  that  this  coloniz- 
ing policy  is  no  mere  side  issue  with  the  Mormon  Church  — 
something  to  which  it  has  been  urged  by  the  conditions  entailed 
by  the  task  of  settling  and  subduing  a  desert  country  —  but  an 


144  THE  REAL  MORMONISM 

essential  and  primary  part  of  its  message  and  assumed  function 
in  the  world.  This  is  ably  set  forth  in  the  following  from  a 
recent  address  in  the  great  Tabernacle  in  Salt  Lake  City,  during 
a  conference  of  the  Church: 

"The  individual  Latter-day  Saint  is  the  unit  in  the  Church;  and  in 
every  organization  the  good  or  evil  of  the  whole  is  but  the  algebraic 
sum  of  the  good  or  evil  represented  by  the  several  units.  I  remember, 
years  ago,  I  was  very  much  impressed  on  a  visit  to  the  markets  of 
Paris.  ...  I  noticed  with  interest  the  splendid  display  of  garden  vege- 
tables offered  for  sale,  .  .  .  and  I  was  particularly  impressed  with  the 
fact  that  every  plant  that  was  there  brought  to  market  seemed  to  be  in  a 
measure  practically  perfect;  at  least,  it  was  good,  if  it  was  not  ex- 
cellent. Every  head  of  lettuce  that  was  there  offered  for  sale  was  a 
splendid  one.  I  thought  all  the  garden  plants  —  lettuces,  radishes, 
onions,  turnips  and  potatoes,  must  have  been  sorted  out.  I  saw  no 
inferior  ones  at  all.  And  I  was  so  much  interested  in  it  that  I  went 
out  to  the  gardens  where  these  things  were  grown,  the  market  gardens 
of  Paris,  and  I  talked  with  some  of  the  gardeners  and  watched  them 
at  their  work.  I  found  there  were  many  peculiarities  about  their 
work.  They  do  not  talk  about  having  a  half  acre  of  lettuce,  a  half  acre 
of  radishes,  but  they  tell  you  just  how  many  lettuce  plants  they  have, 
and  just  how  many  radish  plants  they  have  and  just  how  many  turnips 
they  have  in  their  gardens.  .  .  .  And  I  learned  that  they  gave  to  each 
one  their  personal  and  individual  attention.  If  the  gardener  found  that 
this  particular  lettuce  head  did  not  seem  to  develop  as  well  as  its 
neighbor,  he  looked  about  to  find  the  cause,  and  discovered,  perhaps, 
that  the  shade  of  yonder  gable,  or  that  tree,  fell  upon  the  plant  during 
the  greater  part  of  the  morning,  and  shut  away  from  it  the  sunlight; 
and  he  straightway  transplanted  the  plant  and  put  it  a  few  feet  farther 
out  into  the  sunlight,  where  it  could  receive  the  kind  of  energizing 
influences  of  which  it  stood  in  need.  I  believe  there  should  be  a 
little  more  of  the  individual  and  intensive  cultivation  of  souls  here 
in  the  great  garden  of  the  Lord.  It  is  all  right  to  farm  on  the  whole- 
sale plan,  but  it  is  not  always  the  best  kind  of  farming;  and  the  Lord 
has  provided  that,  in  his  garden,  there  shall  be  an  attendant  for  every 
plant  —  not  for  every  patch,  not  for  every  acre,  but  for  every  plant, 
and  it  shall  be  tended  and  watched  and  guarded  and  properly  culti- 
vated. .  .  .  The  spirit  of  the  Gospel  is  the  spirit  of  individual  develop- 
ment, the  spirit  of  mutual  help,  the  spirit  of  association;  and  as  has 
been  said  already  in  this  conference  the  world,  into  which  we  shall 
pass  through  the  portals  of  death,  will  be  a  real  world  in  which  there 
will  be  an  organization;  and  that  organization  ...  we  shall  find  to 
be  on  the  same  plan  and  pattern  as  the  organization  under  which  we 
live  here,  but  it  may  be  in  a  measure  more  perfect,  perhaps  more  per- 
fectly adapted  than  ours  is  here  to  the  conditions  and  circumstances 
of  the  place  and  of  the  time." — /.  E.  Talmage  {'Salvation  of  the  In- 
dividual, the  Aim  of  the  Gospel"  Desert  Evening  News,  June  28,  1913). 


CHAPTER  XI 

THE  PRACTICAL  WORKINGS  OF  MORMONISM 

As  has  already  been  explained  in  the  discussion  of  the  organi- 
zation of  the  Mormon  Church,  the  interests  of  each  individual 
are  by  no  means  sacrificed  to  those  of  the  mass.  Each  one  has 
his  place  in  the  ranks,  holding  some  grade  of  the  priesthood,  or 
belonging  to  some  quorum,  in  addition  to  his  regular  member- 
ship in  the  ward  and  stake  organizations.  The  whole  force  of 
the  Mormon  organization  is  exerted  to  maintain  constant  associa- 
tion of  individual  members,  and  such  an  arrangement  could  not 
fail  to  promote  personal  benefit  and  mutual  helpfulness;  at  least 
so  we  would  be  informed,  if  the  discussion  were  concerned  with 
any  other  organization,  religious  or  social. 

"As  a  people  the  Saints  are  thriving  and  prosperous,  and  are  con- 
tinually extending  their  settlements  throughout  the  inter-mountain  region 
from  the  Province  of  Alberta,  Canada,  in  the  North,  to  the  northern 
states  of  Old  Mexico.  They  have  20,000  farms,  18,000  of  which  are 
free  from  mortgages  and  encumbrances;  and  ninety  per  cent,  of  the 
whole  Church  membership  own  their  own  homes,  while  the  average 
number  of  people  who  own  their  homes  in  the  United  States  is  some- 
thing like  five  per  cent.  It  has  ever  been  the  policy  of  the  Church  lead- 
ers to  beget  in  their  people  an  ambition  to  own  their  homes  and  the 
lands  they  cultivate,  and  avoid  debt;  the  wisdom  of  which  policy  is 
unquestionably  vindicated  in  the  above  showing." — B.  H.  Roberts 
("  Mormonism:  its  Origin  and  History/*  pp.  65-66). 

The  interest  of  the  Church  in  the  individual  member  does  not 
end,  however,  with  the  benefits  accruing  to  him  as  the  member 
of  a  ward,  quorum  or  community.  He  is  followed  up  in  the 
midst  of  his  troubles,  as  well  as  in  the  days  of  his  prosperity 
and  strength.  As  already  indicated,  it  is  an  essential  part  of 
the  duties  of  the  ward  bishop  to  inform  himself  as  to  the  tem- 
poral condition  of  all  persons  and  families  in  his  ward.  If  a 
case  of  need  is  brought  to  his  notice  through  the  ministrations 
of  the  teachers  or  of  the  Relief  Society,  it  is  his  duty  to  investi- 
gate further  and  give  such  relief  as  may  be  needed.  It  is  the 
duty  of  the  bishop,  moreover,  to  dispense  such  charity  as  may 
be  needed  in  individual  cases,  whether  the  applicant  be  a  mem- 
ber of  the  Church,  or  not.    Indeed,  such  is  the  liberality  of 

145 


146  THE  REAL  MORMONISM 

Mormon  well-doing  that  very  many  outsiders  are  assisted  in 
their  need,  particularly  those  who  have  no  friends  or  connections 
in  the  state. 

Accurate  accounts  of  all  disbursements  for  charity  are  ren- 
dered by  the  ward  bishops  to  the  Presiding  Bishop.  It  is  cus- 
tomary for  the  bishops  to.  make  regiilar  allowances  to  the  indi- 
gent aged  and  feeble,  also,  to  widows,  wherever  necessary. 
Many  persons  are  assisted  temporarily,  as  to  tide  over  a  hard 
winter,  or  when  unable  to  obtain  employment.  Very  frequently 
the  assistance  so  rendered  is  gladly  returned,  as  soon  as  possible, 
although  no  condition  ever  attaches  to  any  such  advances  made 
by  the  Church  authorities. 

As  represented  by  authoritative  statements,  the  bulk  of  the 
expenditures  for  beneficence  go  to  the  aged,  the  infirm  and  the 
widows,  also,  as  needed,  to  those  out  of  work  and  in  reduced 
circumstances.  The  inestimable  advantage  to  persons  of  this 
class  to  be  derived  by  membership  in  such  an  organization  as  the 
Mormon  Church  may  thus  be  understood.  But,  as  if  to  make 
good  its  claim  that  our  present  order  must  be  supplanted  by  some 
other  offering  greater  justice  and  opportunity  to  the  individual, 
the  Presiding  Bishop  is  authorized,  not  only  to  relieve  temporary 
embarrassment,  but  also  to  maintain  a  regular  bureau  for  solicit- 
ing employment  for  persons  out  of  work.  In  the  operation  of 
this  bureau,  whose  services  may  be  commanded  without  charge 
of  any  kind,  the  Bishop's  office  regularly  sends  out  forms  of  in- 
quiry to  all  the  bishops,  asking  what  opportunities  are  to  be  ob- 
tained by  unemployed  men  in  their  wards.  Every  sixty  days, 
as  a  rule,  answers  to  such  inquiries  are  received,  and  unem- 
ployed persons  directed  to  places  where  employment  may  be  had. 
If  necessary,  they  are  assisted  to  places  designated.  The  regu- 
lar forms  periodically  circulated  by  the  Church  authorities  are 
given  herewith: 

Bishop 

Ward. 

Dear  Brother: 

Will  you  please  advise  us  if  there  are  any  opportunities  in  your  vi- 
cinity for  employment;  such  as  farm  work,  janitor  service,  ordinary 
day  labor,  work  in  factories,  mills  or  other  similar  employment? 

Enclosed  is  a  blank  form  upon  which  we  shall  be  pleased  to  receive 
a  report  from  you  within  the  next  15  days,  and  if  you  think  it  would 
help  in  this  good  work,  read  this  letter  at  your  next  ward  priesthood 
meeting. 

Many  of  our  brethren  are  out  of  work,  and  we  have  more  applications 
here  at  our  Employment  Bureau  than  we  can  fill.  Besides  this,  man] 
Latter-day  Saints  are  arriving  from  foreign  lands,  and  we  feel  it  J 
special  duty  to  render  them  all  possible  assistance,  so  that  they  can  ob-J 
tain  a  livelihood  among  our  people. 


I 


THE  PRACTICAL  WORKINGS  OF  MORMONISM    147 

Thanking  you  for  the  help  you  may  be  able  to  render  us  in  this  good 
cause,  we  are 

Your  brethren  m  the  Gospel, 

Presiding  Bishopric. 

The  blank  form  enclosed  with  such  letters  is  as  follows : 

Ward 

Stake 

19.. 

LABOR  REPORT 
Bishop  C.  W.  Nibley  &  Counselors, 

Salt  Lake  City,  Utah. 
Dear  Brethren : 
We  can  furnish  work  in  our  ward  as  follows : 

Class  of  Work  and  Wages 

(Here  follows  a  ruled  blank  for  appropriate  entries) 

Respectfully  yours, 

Bishop. 

Of  course,  as  may  be  readily  understood,  opportunities  for 
securing  suitable  employment  may  not  always  be  found  for  the 
asking,  and,  as  it  sometimes  happens,  a  man  may  be  supported 
from  the  Church  funds  for  some  time  before  finding  a  position 
that  he  can  fill  to  satisfaction.  He  is  greatly  advantaged,  how- 
ever, in  having  available  to  his  needs  so  well  organized  an  "  em- 
ployment bureau "  as  is  conducted  by  the  Presiding  Bishop's 
office,  which  makes  a  constant  and  systematic  canvass  of  all  the 
wards  of  the  Church  for  the  very  kind  of  situations  that  new- 
comers may  require.  In  special  cases  such  letters  as  the  fol- 
lowing are  sent  out  to  the  ward  bishops.  These  letters  are  actual 
transcripts  from  letters  mailed  by  the  Presiding  Bishop. 

Special  Appeal  for  Newly  Awuved  Families:  Unemployed. 

191... 

Bishop  

Ward. 

Dear  Brother: 

It  has  been  deemed  advisable  to  extend  our  efforts  in  the  matter  of 
assisting  our  people  along  the  line  of  their  industrial  activities.  It  is 
desirable  that  our  brethren  and  sisters,  who  come  to  us  from  the  mission 
fields,  should  be  properly  located  and  begin  their  new  homes  in  an  en- 
vironment and  under  conditions  that  will  be  conducive  of  their  best 
temporal  and  spiritual  welfare.  Besides  this,  there  are  many  families 
now  residing  in  the  crowded  centers  of  population,  who  would  be  far 
better  off  in  every  way  if  they  could  locate  in  the  country  districts. 

We  have  thought  of  your  locality  as  a  likely  place  for  such  people  to 
settle,  and  we  shall  be  glad  to  have  you  advise  us  just  what  the  situa- 


148  THE  REAL  MORMONISM 

tion  is  in  your  ward.  Can  you  assist  one  or  more  families  to  get  started, 
who  might  come  to  you  with  nothing  more  than  a  willingness  to  work 
and  determination  to  succeed?  If  so,  please  give  us  the  specific  con- 
ditions on  which  such  a  family  could  begin,  as  for  instance,  "  we  have 
in  this  ward  a  farm  of  20  acres,  with  a  fairly  good  three  room  house, 
barn,  etc.,  which  a  family  might  take  on  shares,  with  an  option  to 
purchase,  etc." 

If  there  is  no  such  opening,  what  is  the  possibility  for  a  family  with 
a  very  limited  capital? 

The  spirit  back  of  our  efforts  is  the  same  that  has  prompted  our 
people  from  the  beginning  of  the  history  of  the  Church.  We  feel  that 
it  is  the  duty  of  each  member  to  help  his  brother  as  far  as  possible.  In 
the  earlier  days,  when  a  new  brother  came  to  reside  among  us,  one 
neighbor  gave  him  a  chicken,  another  gave  him  a  pig,  and  possibly  some 
more  prosperous  brother  gave  him  a  cow.  Occasionally  the  neighbors 
helped  him  to  plow  his  first  ten  acres,  and  a  general  interest  was  taken 
in  him  until  he  got  well  started  and  then  he  in  turn  was  able  to  assist 
some  one  else.  Many  of  our  people  have  to  thank  this  interest  taken  in 
them  upon  their  arrival  for  their  present  success  and  temporal  prosperity. 

To  obtain  the  successful  results  hoped  for  in  this  movement  it  will 
be  necessary  to  have  the  cooperation  of  the  presiding  brethren  and  the 
saints  as  a  whole  in  the  wards  where  new  comers  locate.  We  feel  con- 
fident that  this  movement  meets  a  long  felt  need  among  our  people  and, 
therefore,  will  have  your  hearty  support. 

Your  brethren  in  the  Gospel, 

The  Presiding  Bishopric. 

By 

Special  Letter  to  Mission  Presidents  in  Behalf  of  Young  Mission- 
aries About  to  Return  from  Their  Fields  of  Labor. 

191... 

President 

Mission. 

Dear  Brother: 

It  has  been  deemed  advisable  to  extend  our  efforts  in  the  matter  of  as- 
sisting our  people  along  the  line  of  their  industrial  activities.  It  is  espe- 
cially desirable  that  our  brethren  and  sisters  who  come  from  the  mission 
fields  should  be  properly  located,  and  begin  their  new  homes  in  an  en- 
vironment and  under  conditions  that  will  be  conducive  of  their  best  tem- 
poral and  spiritual  welfare.  The  department,  having  this  matter  in 
charge,  is  under  the  direction  of  Elder  Roscoe  W.  Eardley,  late  Presi- 
dent of  the  Netherlands  Mission. 

It  will  be  our  endeavor  to  assist  returned  missionaries,  where  neces- 
sary, to  secure  suitable  employment  or  take  up  their  work  where  they 
laid  it  down  to  enter  the  missionary  service.  We  will  also  enlist  the  serv- 
ices of  elders  who  are  returning  from  their  missions  abroad,  and  who  are 
in  a  position  to  assist  those  who  have  emigrated  from  the  fields  in  which 
they  have  labored,  by  asking  them  to  take  a  fatherly  interest  in  such 
immigrants  until  they  have  established  themselves  in  the  stakes  of  Zion. 

To  attain  the  best  results  in  these  matters,  it  will  be  necessary  that 
we  have  the  co-operation  of  the  presiding  brethren  in  all  the  mission 
fields,  and  to  facilitate  this  matter,  we  are  sending  under  separate  cover 
forms  to  be  filled  in  and  forwarded  to  this  office,  prior  to  the  de- 


THE  PRACTICAL  WORKINGS  OF  MORMONISM    149 

parture  of  the  missionary  or  immigrant  from  the  field.    These  reports 
are  confidential. 

Will  you  please  ask  all  returning  missionaries  to  call  at  this  office  upon 
their  arrival  in  Salt  Lake  City,  and  enquire  for  Brother  Eardley  ? 

We  feel  confident  that  this  movement  meets  a  long  felt  need  among 
our  people,  and  therefore  will  have  your  hearty  support. 
Your  brethren  in  the  Gospel. 

The  Presiding  Bishopric 

By 

The  practice  of  circulating  such  appeals  to  the  Church  authori- 
ties, also  of  advertising  in  the  pubHc  prints,  as  is  also  done  on 
occasions,  indicates  a  laudable  benevolent  activity,  and  may  be 
held  to  signify  no  more  than  a  practical  application  on  a  sys- 
tematic scale  of  the  very  spirit  that  inspires  all  intending  bene- 
factors of  their  fellow-men.  We  must  not  lose  sight  of  one 
essential  feature,  however,  and  this  is  that  the  Mormon  Church, 
unlike  other  religious  bodies,  does  not  leave  this  highly  impor- 
tant branch  of  practical  benevolence  to  unassociated  good  inten- 
tions, nor  yet  to  auxiliary  organizations,  as  is  the  current  prac- 
tice elsewhere.  It  gains  an  immense  prestige  among  its  follow- 
ers by  meeting  them  and  providing  to  supply  their  needs  at  the 
very  times  and  at  the  very  crises  in  their  several  careers,  when 
help  and  encouragement,  temporal  and  material,  as  well  as  spir- 
itual, is  most  sorely  needed.  If  the  mechanism  of  this  Church's 
organization  is  kept  running,  as  it  was  intended  by  its  founders 
that  it  should  run;  if,  in  other  words,  the  accredited  officers  are 
faithful  in  the  performance  of  their  appointed  and  designated 
duties,  there  need  be  no  just  charge  of  unanswered  prayers  of 
need  and  distress.  If  such  officers  do  not  perform  their  proper 
duties  —  and  it  must  be  said  to  their  credit  that  the  average  of 
faithfulness  is  high  among  them  —  the  fault  is  in  them,  and  in 
the  failings  common  to  humanity,  and  not  in  the  organization. 
In  any  case,  the  organization  is  there,  but,  like  every  other  ma- 
chine, designed  for  practical  work  in  the  world,  it  must  be  kept 
well  oiled  and  in  running  order. 

As  previously  suggested,  the  Church  itself  frequently  pro- 
vides, not  only  temporary  relief  for  the  distressed  and  for  those 
out  of  employment,  but  also,  in  many  cases,  has  created  work  for 
the  sake  of  employing  those  among  its  poor  who  had  not  been 
located  otherwise.  This,  as  previously  stated,  was  Brigham 
Young's  object  in  taking  the  contracts  for  the  building  of  the 
Union  Pacific  and  Central  Pacific  railroads  in  1868-69.  He 
also  projected  and  built,  entirely  with  home  capital  and  home 
labor,  the  Deseret  Telegraph  line  in  Utah,  which  was  later 
operated  in  connection  with  the  great  transcontinental  system. 
Other  more  local  enterprises  were  undertaken  in  precisely  the 


I50  THE  REAL  MORMONISM 

same  spirit.  Thus,  to  give  employment  to  the  unemployed  he 
caused  a  high  wall  to  be  erected  around  the  Temple  Block,  and 
another  high  wall,  built  of  cobble  stones  and  concrete,  around 
the  tithing  office  and  his  own  premises.  A  wall  intended  to 
encompass  the  city,  which,  while  intended  as  a  protection  against 
Indians,  was  undertaken  with  a  view  to  create  labor. 

The  building  of  Saltair  as  a  great  bathing  resort  on  the  Great 
Salt  Lake  is  another  enterprise  which  has  given  employment  to 
many  people,  and  it  could  not  have  come  into  existence  at  the 
time  it  did  if  the  Church  with  its  means  and  credit  had  not 
backed  the  enterprise.     This  famous  resort  was  built  in  1893. 

In  view  of  the  facts  mentioned  above,  even  the  smallest,  as 
last  given,  it  would  take  no  very  great  insight  to  discern  the  fact 
that  the  Mormon  Church  has  set  itself  to  the  very  laudable  task 
of  actually  abolishing  poverty,  or,  at  the  least  helpless  indigence. 
That  this  is  a  very  desirable  end  in  our  present  civiHzation  can- 
not be  denied;  that  it  is,  also,  quite  in  the  line  of  what  Christ 
evidently  had  in  view,  no  matter  how  much  his  pretended  fol- 
lowers may  have  ignored  and  neutralized  his  teachings,  is  too 
evident  to  need  discussion  of  any  kind.  Apart,  however,  from 
consideration  of  the  teachings  of  Christ,  or  of  the  claims  of  any 
organization  whatsoever,  it  is  clear  that  poverty  and  indigence, 
as  well  as  the  vices  causing  them  —  extravagance,  indifference, 
hypocrisy,  on  the  one  hand,  and  intemperance,  shiftlessness  and 
ignorance,  on  the  other  —  must  be  done  away  with,  if  civiliza- 
tion is  to  continue.  That  the  Mormon  Church  recognizes  this 
fact,  and  acts  accordingly,  while  all  other  professed  religious 
bodies  have  stupidly  and  culpably  ignored  it,  is  decidedly  to  the 
credit  of  its  founders  and  leaders,  and  a  rebuke  to  its  opponents, 
who,  while  busying  themselves  with  criticisms  and  fault-seeking, 
have  contrived  no  effectual  rivalry  to  its  practical  methods,  leav- 
ing really  humanitarian  souls  no  alternatives  other  than  social- 
ism, or  some  other  schemes  of  so-called  sociology  or  economics, 
which  are  both  non-religious  and  non-Christian. 


! 


CHAPTER  XII 

THE  MORAL  RECORD  OF  THE  MORMON   PEOPLE 

In  the  discussion  of  any  other  social  and  religious  system, 
similarly  well  organized,  the  moral  and  ethical  benefits  of  close 
association  would  be  cheerfully  admitted,  and  appreciatively  dis- 
cussed. In  the  case  of  the  Mormon  Church,  however,  the  wall 
of  prejudice  is  so  high  and  the  clouds  of  downright  misrepre- 
sentation so  thick,  that  it  will  be  necessary  to  give  figures  and 
examples  to  demonstrate  the  fact  that,  in  this  case  of  close  asso- 
ciation, also,  the  rule  operates  normally. 

In  our  study  of  the  institution  of  plural  marriage,  which  has 
so  terribly  inflamed  our  preacher-folk,  in  spite  of  the  fact  that 
it  was  a  recognized  institution  among  God's  people  of  ancient 
times,  and  was  not  forbidden  or  condemned  by  Christ  in  any  un- 
mistakable terms,  we  shall  find  that  the  women  of  Mormondom, 
while  highly  independent,  individual  and  self-reliant,  as  a  rule, 
are,  at  the  same  time,  nobly  womanly,  holding  the  begetting  and 
rearing  of  offspring  as  their  highest  prerogative.  While  the 
much-mooted  right  of  female  suffrage  was  first  granted  under 
Mormon  rule,  and  the  equality  of  the  sexes  first  openly  advo- 
cated by  Joseph  Smith,  there  was  never  a  **  woman  movement " 
among  these  people,  nor  any  of  the  degenerate  spirit  of  "  sex- 
antagonism,"  so  disgustingly  rampant  in  England,  and,  to  a 
great  extent,  in  America.  Any  person  informed  in  sociology,  let 
alone  morals,  cannot  help  but  recognize  that,  in  this  particular, 
at  least,  the  Mormon  influence  has  been  wholly  on  the  side  of 
right,  decency,  justice  and  of  intelligent  and  normal  sentiment. 
If  the  Christian  public  in  England  and  America  can  view  the 
exasperated  reaction,  known  as  the  "  woman  movement,"  as  a 
"  phase  of  evolutionary  development,"  or  as  an  "  incident "  in 
the  life  of  nations,  it  is  a  sad  comment  on  the  sufficiency  of  the 
ideals  and  spiritual  influences  under  which  they  have  been  reared. 
Whatever  they  may  think  of  their  own  case,  they  have  no  just 
ground  of  criticism  of  a  people  who  have  accomplished  grand  re- 
sults with  none  of  these  grievous  and  pathological  "  labor  pains." 

Nearly  the  most  important  and  typical  phase  of  public  moral- 
ity lies  in  the  matter  of  temperance;  which  is  usually  under- 
stood to  connote  moderation  in  the  use  of  alcoholic  drinks.    The 


152  THE  REAL  MORMONISM 

Mormons  claim  considerable  immunity  from  the  ravages  of  this 
social  disease  of  "  gin-guzzling,"  because  of  their  belief  in  the 
Word  of  Wisdom,  an  accepted  revelation  condemning  the  prac- 
tice, along  with  the  use  of  tobacco,  tea,  and  coffee,  and  gluttony 
in  meat  eating.  This  claim  by  itself  is,  of  course,  no  argument 
in  favor  of  their  practical  consistency;  since  the  world  has  seen 
a  sufficiency  of  high  professions  and  low  practices,  and  is  in- 
clined to  discount  the  former,  except  in  the  case  of  itself  and 
friends.  There  is  one  good  reason,  however,  for  assuming  the 
probability,  at  least,  of  the  consistency  of  Mormon  claims  in  this 
particular:  this  is,  again,  the  fact  of  the  strong  and  close  asso- 
ciation of  the  members  of  the  Church.  Among  the  loosely  or- 
ganized sects  of  Protestantism,  or  in  the  other-worldly  Catholic 
Church,  hypocrisy  and  inconsistency  in  religious  and  moral  pro- 
fessions may  be  long  maintained,  without  fear  of  detection  — 
as  a  matter  of  experience,  this  is  evidently  true  —  but  where 
people  are  constantly  associated  in  their  religion,  social  life, 
amusements  and  business  employments,  as  are  the  Mormons, 
there  is  always  a  liability  to  discovery  and  condemnation.  No 
one  can  deny  that  some  of  these  people,  at  least,  are  sincerely 
consistent  in  their  professions:  and  such  are  always  liable  to 
**  run  amuck  "  and  really  denounce  hypocrisy.  We  may  under- 
stand, therefore,  that  the  principle  of  strong  and  close  organiza- 
tion is  undoubtedly  justified  as  a  moral  safeguard,  as  well  as  an 
effective  engine  for  social  and  religious  benefits  to  the  people 
included  in  its  "  quorums." 

In  the  matter  of  indulgence  in  alcoholic  drinks,  which  all 
agree  is  undesirable,  and  all  are  allowed  to  condemn  seriously, 
except  Mormons,  the  following  from  a  seasoned  traveler  and 
keen  observer  is  significant: 

"The  Mormons  drunken!  Now  what,  for  instance,  can  be  the  con- 
clusion of  any  honest  thinker  from  this  fact  —  that  though  I  mixed  con- 
stantly with  Mormons,  all  of  them  anxious  to  show  me  every  hospitality 
and  courtesy,  I  was  never  at  any  time  asked  to  take  a  glass  of  strong 
drink?  If  I  wanted  a  horse  to  ride  or  to  drive  I  had  a  choice  at  once 
offered  me.  If  I  wanted  someone  to  go  with  me  to  some  point  of  in- 
terest, his  time  was  mine.  Yet  it  never  occurred  to  them  to  show  a 
courtesy  by  suggesting  *  a  drink.' 

"  Then,  seriously,  how  can  any  one  have  respect  for  the  literature  or 
the  men  who,  without  knowing  anything  of  the  lives  of  Mormons,  stigma- 
tize them  as  profane,  adulterous,  and  drunken?  As  a  community  I  know 
them,  from  personal  advantages  of  observation  such  as  no  non-Mormon 
writer  has  ever  previously  possessed,  to  be  at  any  rate  exceptionally  care- 
ful in  maintaining  the  appearance  of  piety  and  sobriety ;  and  I  leave  it  to 
my  readers  to  judge  whether  such  solid  hypocrisy  as  this,  that  tries  to 
abolish  all  swearing  and  all  strong  drink  both  by  precept  from  the  pul- 
pit and  example  in  the  household,  is  not,  after  all,  nearly  as  admirable 
as  the  real  thing  itself. 

"This,  at  all  events,  is  beyond  doubt  —  that  the  Mormons  have  al- 


MORAL  RECORD  OF  THE  MORMON  PEOPLE     153 

ways  struggled  hard  to  prevent  the  sale  of  liquors  in  Salt  Lake  City,  ex- 
cept under  strict  regulations  and  supervision.  But  the  fight  has  gone 
against  them.  The  courts  uphold  the  right  of  publicans  to  sell  when  and 
what  they  choose ;  and  the  Mormons,  who  could  at  one  time  boast  —  and 
visitors  without  nurnber  have  borne  evidence  to  the  fact  —  that  a  drunk- 
ard was  never  to  be  seen,  an  oath  never  to  be  heard,  in  the  streets  of  their 
city,  have  now  to  confess  that,  thanks  to  the  example  of  Gentiles,  they 
have  both  drunkards  and  profane  men  among  them.  But  the  general  at- 
titude of  the  Church  toward  these  delinquents,  and  the  sorrow  that  their 
weakness  causes  in  the  family  circle,  are  in  themselves  proofs  of  the 
sincerity  in  sobriety  which  distinguishes  the  Mormons.  Nor  is  it  any 
secret  that  if  the  Mormons  had  the  power  they  would  to-morrow  close  all 
the  saloons  and  bars,  except  those  under  Church  regulation,  and  then, 
they  say,  *  we  might  hope  to  .^ee  the  old  days  back  when  we  never  thought 
of  locking  our  doors  at  night,  and  when  our  wives  and  girls,  let  them  be 
out  ever  so  late,  needed  no  escort  in  the  streets.' " —  Phil  Robinson  (Sin- 
ners and  Saints,  pp.  239-240). 

At  another  page,  Mr.  Robinson  gives  figures  to  bolster  up 
such  contentions  as  are  made  above.  Speaking  of  the  results  of 
a  canvass  made  in  the  year  of  his  visit  to  Utah  (1882),  he  says: 

"Last  winter  there  was  a  census  taken  of  the  Utah  Penitentiary  and 
the  Salt  Lake  City  and  county  prisons  with  the  following  result:  —  In 
Salt  Lake  City  there  are  about  75  Mormons  to  25  non-Mormons :  in  Salt 
Lake  County  there  are  about  80  Mormons  to  20  non-Mormons.  Yet  in 
the  city  prison  there  were  29  convicts,  all  non-Mormons;  in  the  county 
prison  there  were  6  convicts,  all  non-Mormons.  The  jailer  stated  that 
the  county  convicts  for  the  five  years  past  were  all  anti-Mormons  ex- 
cept three! 

"  In  Utah  the  proportion  of  Mormons  to  all  others  is  as  83  to  17.  In 
the  Utah  Penitentiary  at  the  date  of  the  census  there  were  51  prisoners, 
only  5  of  whom  were  Mormons,  and  2  of  the  5  were  in  prison  for  po- 
lygamy, so  that  the  17  per  cent.  '  outsiders '  had  46  convicts  in  the  peni- 
tentiary, while  the  83  per  cent.  Mormons  had  but  5 ! 

"  Out  of  the  200  saloon,  billiard,  bowling  alley  and  pool-table  keepers 
not  over  a  dozen  even  profess  to  be  Mormons.  All  of  the  bagnios  and 
other  disreputable  concerns  in  the  territory  are  run  and  sustained  by  non- 
Mormons.  Ninety-eight  per  cent,  of  the  gamblers  in  Utah  are  of  the 
same  element.  Ninety-five  per  cent,  of  the  Utah  lawyers  are  Gentiles, 
and  98  per  cent,  of  all  the  litigation  there  is  of  outside  growth  and 
promotion.  Of  the  250  towns  and  villages  in  Utah,  over  200  have  no 
'gaudy  sepulchre  of  departed  virtue,'  and  these  two  hundred  and  odd 
towns  are  almost  exclusively  Mormon  in  population.  Of  the  suicides 
committed  in  Utah  ninety  odd  per  cent,  are  non-Mormon,  and  of  the 
Utah  homicides  and  infanticides  over  80  per  cent,  are  perpetrated  by  the 
17  per  cent,  of  'outsiders.' — Ibid.,  p.  72. 

Mr.  Robinson's  testimony  is  quotable;  first,  because  he  was  a 
careful  and  unprejudiced  observer,  as  keen  to  notice  the  defects 
of  Mormon  character  as  its  excellencies  —  this  anyone  may 
understand  from  reading  his  book;  second,  because  he  quotes 
correctly  figures  gathered  authoritatively,  and  to  be  found  in 
other  printed  records  of  the  times.  Assuming,  for  the  sake  of 
argument,  that  the  Mormon  professions  of  opposition  to  the 
traffic  in  intoxicants  is  perfectly  sincere,  the  consequences,  as 


154  THE  REAL  MORMONISM 

noted  by  Robinson,  are  precisely  those  one  would  expect  to  find. 
Beyond  doubt,  the  greater  proportion  of  crimes  flows  from  in- 
dulgence in  alcohol,  which  degrades  the  physical  system  and 
weakens  the  sense  of  right  and  wrong,  along  with  the  strength 
of  will  to  resist  temptation.  It  is  also  a  well  recognized  fact 
that  the  initial  step  in  the  path  of  drunkenness,  and  eventual 
ruin  and  disgrace,  is  to  be  traced  to  bad  influences  in  youth,  or 
to  no  effective  influences  at  all.  If,  therefore,  one  is  brought 
up  in  an  atmosphere  in  which  moral  influences  repel,  rather  than 
excite  respect,  and  allow  the  notion  to  grow  in  the  mind  that 
carelessness  in  speech  and  act,  and  indulgence,  to  any  extent  in 
forbidden  pastimes,  is  either  "  manly  "  or  "  smart,"  the  fault  is 
quite  as  certainly  to  be  found  in  the  method  of  presenting  moral 
teachings,  as  in  the  native  depravity  of  the  delinquent  himself. 
If,  on  the  other  hand,  one  is  reared  and  educated  in  a  society,  in 
which  he  is  brought  into  constant  association  with  men  who 
make  a  public  boast  that  they  eschew  all  the  vices,  against  which 
youth  are  warned,  and  lead  such  lives  as  excite  respect  and  emu- 
lation, instead  of  half-hearted  and  womanish  attitudes  toward 
the  w^orld,  the  result  cannot  fail  to  keep  a  large  percentage  of 
young  men  in  the  strait  way,  until  they  are  old  enough,  at  least, 
to  be  wicked  clandestinely,  as  we  are  informed.  This  is,  in  brief, 
the  antithesis  between  the  impracticable,  other-worldly  attitude 
of  current  influences,  and  the  well-organized,  practical,  "this- 
world"  attitude,  as  embodied  in  the  Mormon  Church. 

So  far  as  concerns  the  influence  of  this  organization  on  the 
moral  of  its  young  men,  the  record  of  the  Deseret  Gymnasium, 
in  Salt  Lake  City,  is  significant.  Of  i,ioo  applicants  for  ad- 
mission, examined  in  three  years,  the  physical  director,  William 
R.  Day,  reports  a  clean  record  so  far  as  any  evidence  of  per- 
sonal immoralities  are  concerned.  The  attitude  of  the  people 
toward  the  liquor  traffic  is  even  more  satisfactory.  The  table 
on  following  page  shows  the  number  of  liquor  saloons  in  the 
regularly  organized  stakes  of  the  Church,  during  two  record  years. 

As  is  explained  in  place,  a  stake  is  a  section  of  territory, 
either  in  the  country  or  in  a  city,  analogous  to  the  diocese  or  see 
of  a  bishop  of  the  Roman  Catholic  Church.  As  such,  it  is  rnerely 
an  ecclesiastical  jurisdiction,  without  reference  to  the  religious 
or  racial  affiliations  of  the  inhabitants  included  in  its  confines. 
Thus,  there  are  four  stakes  in  the  city  limits  of  Salt  Lake  City, 
which,  at  the  present  time,  are  known  as  the  Salt  Lake,  Ensign, 
Liberty,  and  Pioneer  stakes.  As  in  this  city  in  1910,  the  Mor- 
mons numbered  about  40,000  out  of  a  total  population  of  about 
93,000,  they  cannot  be  blamed  either  for  the  existence  of  all  the 
130  saloons,  nor  for  the  failure  to  close  them.    The  figures 


MORAL  RECORD  OF  THE  MORMON  PEOPLE    155 
Liquor  Saloons  in  Mormon  Stakes 

Stake.  1909  1910  Inc.  Dec.  Stake.  1909  1910  Inc.  Dec. 

Alberta   3  3  •  •  North  Sanpete 4  2  . .  2 

Alpine   8  i  ..  7  North  Weber 4  4  . .  . . 

Bannock   5  •  •  •  •  5  Ogden   3  3  . .  . . 

Bear  Lake  7  2  . .  5  Oneida 


Bear  River 2      2     . .     . .      Panquitch 

Beaver 7      7     . .     . .      Parowan 

Benson    2      2     . .     . .      Pioneer   7      6    ..      i 

Big  Horn  2     . .     . .      2     Pocatello 

Bingham 3     . .     . .      3      Rigby  2     . .     . .      2 

Blackf  oot   10      8     . .      2      Salt  Lake 67    75      8    . . 

Box  Elder  2      2     . .     . .      St.  George  2     . .     . .      2 

Cache    5      i     . .      4      St.  Johns   i      i     . .     . . 

Carbon    24    24    . .      St.  Joseph   94    38    . .     56 

Cassia    11     ..     ..     11      San  Juan 

Davis  4      3     ••      I      San  Luis 

Duchesne Sevier    7      8      i     .. 

Emery   17      2     ..     15      Snowflake    i       i     ..     .. 

Ensign  ^    42     ..      6      South  Sanpete  2      2     . .     . . 

Fremont   2     . .     . .      2      Star  Valley i      i     . . 

Granite    14    12     . .      2      Summit  22    23      i     . . 

Hyrum    Taylor  6      6    . .     . . 

Jordan  40    40     . .     . .      Teton i      i     . .     . . 

Juab  3     . .     . .      3      Tooele  21     12     . .      9 

Juarez Uintah 4      4    . .     . . 

Kanab Union 14    14     . .     . . 

Liberty    9    11      2     ..      Utah 13    20      7     .. 

Malad    Wasatch 

Maricopa    4      4    . .     . .      Wayne 

Millard    4     . .     . .      4      Weber   47    47     . .     . . 

Morgan WoodruflF   77    77    . .     . . 

Nebo    25    18    . .      7      Yellowstone  5      2     ..      3 

Totals — 

Number  of  saloons  open  in  1909 624 

Number  of  saloons  open  in  1910 512 

Local  Increases,  as  shown  in  1910 47 

Local  Decreases,  as  shown  in  1910 154 

Total  decrease  from  1909  to  1910 112 

Stakes  without  saloons  in  1909 17 

Stakes  without  saloons  in  1910 23 

Stakes  without  saloons  in  both  years 14 

given  in  the  above  table,  however,  show  a  general  trend  toward 
improvement  in  the  matter  of  liquor  selling  resorts.  Thus,  while 
an  increase  of  such  places  occurs  in  8  cases,  there  is  a  decrease 
in  23,  and  this  represents  the  closing  of  112  saloons  and  beer 
shops.  It  is  also  notable  that  the  number  of  stakes  having  no 
saloons  rose  from  17  to  23  in  one  year,  with  14  having  none  in 
both  years.  Also,  the  several  local  increases  totaled  less  than 
one-third  of  the  total  decreases  in  the  same  period. 

It  has  been  the  claim  of  the  Mormon  Church  authorities  that 
the  Stakes  of  Zion  have  always  been  virtually  free  of  saloons,  on 


156  THE  REAL  MORMONISM 

the  general  ground  that,  as  there  was  no  business  for  these 
resorts,  they  could  not  maintain  themselves.  This  allegation  has 
been  frequently  substantiated  by  the  reports  of  travelers  of  all 
classes  of  sympathy,  who  have  remarked  on  the  order  and  so- 
briety to  be  found  in  Mormon  towns.  Of  course,  with  the  intro- 
duction of  outside  elements,  largely  of  the  adventurous  classes, 
the  liquor  traffic  grew,  and  is  now  strongest  in  the  sections  of 
the  state  having  the  largest  percentage  of  non-Mormon  popu- 
lation. 

The  attitude  of  the  people  toward  the  liquor  traffic  was  even 
better  demonstrated  in  191 1,  when  the  popular  vote  was  taken 
under  the  new  local  option  law.  According  to  the  official  figures 
for  103  towns  and  cities,  as  given  by  the  state  statistician,  there 
were  40,780  votes  cast  against  Hcensing  the  liquor  traffic,  and 
31,504  in  favor  of  the  traffic.  The  no  license  measure  was  car- 
ried in  86  towns  and  cities  by  a  total  vote  of  26,358  against  6,691 ; 
while  in  the  remaining  17  places  the  license  was  established  by  a 
vote  of  22,594  against  13,898.  Furthermore,  out  of  this  total 
of  favorable  votes,  18,710  were  cast  in  Salt  Lake  and  Ogden, 
where  "  gentiles  "  outnumber  Mormons  by  the  ratios  of  53  to 
40  and  24  to  10,  respectively,  leaving  a  total  in  the  remaining 
15  places  of  3,884  votes  for  and  1,681  against  license.  Accord- 
ing to  the  figures  furnished  by  the  federal  excise  office,  there 
were  599  places,  saloons,  beer  shops  and  drug  stores,  in  these  17 
"  wet "  towns,  doing  a  retail  business  in  alcoholic  liquors,  out 
of  which  410  were  in  Salt  Lake  and  Ogden,  leaving  a  total  of 
189  in  the  remaining  15  towns  and  villages. 

In  the  meantime,  the  86  "  dry  "  towns  and  villages  contained, 
according  to  the  federal  records,  135  shops  and  drug  stores 
licensed  to  retail  liquors,  distributed  through  51  of  these  towns, 
35  of  which  had  contained  no  such  licensed  places  before  the 
election. 

Of  the  17  towns  voting  "  wet,"  9  were  in  the  mining  counties 
of  Carbon  (3),  Juab  (2),  Summit  (i),  and  Tooele  (3)  ;  6  were 
in  the  Salt  Lake  and  Weber  counties,  populous  in  non-Mor- 
mons, and  the  remaining  2,  in  Beaver  and  Emery  counties,  were 
on  the  lines  of  the  railroads.  Such  data  very  effectively  divide 
any  responsibility  that  one  may  attempt  to  lay  at  the  doors  of 
Mormon  voters.  The  fact  is,  however,  that  the  votes  of  this 
election  show  conclusively  that  the  Mormons  have  made  good 
on  their  profession  of  opposition  to  the  liquor  traffic,  and  that 
the  responsibility  of  keeping  it  among  them  lies,  almost,  if  not 
entirely,  on  the  shoulders  of  the  "  gentile  "  voters  in  the  state. 

According  to  the  returns  of  this  election,  it  will  be  impossible 
for  any  really  honest  and  candid  person  to  deny  that  Mormonism 


MORAL  RECORD  OF  THE  MORMON  PEOPLE     157 

has  done  its  best  to  oppose  the  liquor  traffic,  which  is  the  most 
prolific  source  of  crime  and  vice  among  us,  and  has,  so  far, 
made  good  on  its  claims  to  propagating  a  superior  order  of 
morality  among  its  people.  Leaving  out  of  account  the  hypo- 
critical rant  about  "polygamy" — and  even  this  may  be  prefer- 
able to  the  orders  of  immorality,  which  our  traditional  sects 
have  never  succeeded  in  neutralizing  —  statistics  show  that  Mor- 
mon communities  certainly  average  far  higher  in  other  virtues 
than  communities  under  other  auspices.  If  the  aim  of  religion 
is,  in  any  sense,  to  benefit  the  public,  and  to  overcome  the  grosser 
forms  of  evil,  at  least,  it  must  be  acknowledged  that  Mormonism 
certainly  ranks  near  the  top  as  a  beneficial  religious  influence. 
These  matters,  however,  can  be  determined  only  by  statistics, 
since  the  bare  assertion  of  travelers  and  other  observers,  who 
wish  to  be  just  to  their  fellow-men,  are  habitually  contradicted 
by  such  a  mass  of  sectarian  misrepresentation  that  it  is  impos- 
sible to  make  the  public  believe  even  the  plainest  facts. 

In  several  books  and  periodicals  we  find  statistics,  apparently 
authoritative,  to  the  general  eflfect  that  the  larger  proportion 
of  the  crimes  ever  brought  to  the  attention  of  the  authorities  in 
his  territory  and  state,  has  been  committed  by  the  minority  of 
"  gentiles  "  there  resident  or  sojourning.  This  contention  seems 
to  derive  some  element  of  probability,  in  view  of  the  facts  on 
the  liquor  traffic  already  noted. 

A  considerable  amount  of  such  statistical  matter  was  con- 
tributed to  Utah  newspapers  in  the  early  "  eighties  "  by  a  writer 
using  the  nom-de-plume  of  Historicus.  His  findings  deserve 
some  attention  because  they  have  been  widely  quoted,  both  by 
such  writers  as  Phil  Robinson,  and  several  Mormon  compilers. 
The  figures  given  at  this  time  are  significant  from  another  point 
of  view,  also,  since  the  Territory  was  then  less  populous  than 
at  present,  and  the  Mormons  were  rather  largely  in  the  majority 
in  most  centres.  This  statistician  furnishes  the  data  tabulated  on 
the  following  page  on  the  crime  record  of  Ogden  to  the  Deseret 
Evening  News  of  Sept.  18,  1884.     He  says : 

"  To  fully  appreciate  the  magnitude  of  non-Mormon  lawlessness  over 
that  of  the  Mormons  who  reside  in  Utah's  second  city,  it  must  be  borne 
in  mind  that  in  a  total  population  of  7,000  souls,  the  Mormon  and  non- 
Mormon  elements  are  as  7  to  3,  or  71  Mormons  to  29  non-Mormons. 
Here  is  a  delectable  repast,  which  no  doubt  will  appetize  the  local  regen- 
erators, and  reassure  them  that  they  are  succeeding  admirably  in  reform- 
ing the  Mormons,  whom  they  persistently  stigmatize  as  being  *  uncivil-  - 
ized/  '  semi-barbarous,'  '  brutal,'  *  lustful,'  *  lawless,'  etc.,  etc.,  etc." 

In  addition  to  the  practical  accomplishments  mentioned  in 
the  following  list,  which  shows  the  immense  superiority  (i  to 
none)  of  "gentiles"  over  Mormons  in  the  matter  of  "cruelty 


158  THE  REAL  MORMONISM 

Mormon  Crimes 
(During  the  year  ending  December  31,  1883.) 

Crime  Mormons    Non-Mormons 

Assault 2  5 

Assault  and  Battery 6  27 

Drunk 17  97 

Drunk  and  Disorderly 3  37 

Disturbing  the  Peace  25  79 

Petit  Larceny 9  36 

Indecent  Conduct 2  6 

Lewd  Conduct 5  4° 

Vagrancy i  64 

Fast  Driving 3  4 

Cruelty  to  Animals i 

Totals 74  395 

to  animals,"  the  author  proceeds  to  name  17  other  crimes  com- 
mitted among  68  offenders,  all  non-Mormons: 

Burglary    i 

Grand  Larceny  2 

Keeping  Brothels 3 

Gambling 23 

Keeping  Gambling  Houses 3 

Illegal  Liquor  Selling 11 

Other  Police  Offenses 25 

Of  inmates  of  brothels,  employes  of  breweries,  saloons  and 
billiard  rooms,  arrested  for  various  disorders,  in  addition  to 
those  named  above,  the  report  specified  5  Mormons  (none  in 
the  brothels)  and  52  non-Mormons.  Historicus  then  concludes, 
as  follows: 

"  Now,  if  the  29  per  cent.  non-Mormons  of  Ogden  City  had  respected 
and  upheld  the  laws  of  that  municipality  with  the  same  fidelity  as  the 
71  per  cent.  Mormons  have  been  doing,  their  arrest  product  would  have 
been  but  21,  and  not  463,  as  shown  in  the  list.  And  again,  if  the  71  per 
cent.  Mormons  had  last  year  been  as  lawless  as  the  29  per  cent.  non- 
Mormons,  1,621  arrests  of  their  class  would  have  been  recorded,  instead 
of  the  comparatively  small  number  of  74,  as  the  same  exhibit  shows." 

In  treating  of  such  a  matter  as  this  from  the  public  records,  it 
must  be  distinctly  borne  in  mind  that  it  is  by  no  means  easy  to 
make  such  bold  comparisons  on  the  delinquency  of  members  of 
different  religious  faiths.  In  many  cases  the  arrested  person, 
particularly  when  accused  of  a  grave  crime,  will  falsify  on  the 
matter  of  his  religious  connection  and  other  personal  concerns. 
For  this  reason,  it  has  been  the  habit  in  many  prisons  to  make 
no  record  of  religion,  except  in  rare  occasions.  This  objection 
did  not  apply  so  easily  in  the  early  days  of  Utah,  when  the 
religious  affiliations  of  most  people  were  easy  to  discover.  Nor 
is  it  so  great  an  objection  in  that  state  at  present,  when  a  large 


MORAL  RECORD  OF  THE  MORMON  PEOPLE     159 


proportion  of  the  inhabitants  are  Mormons.  Average  figures 
may  indicate  fairly  well,  therefore,  the  moral  character  of  the  in- 
habitants. 

If  by  no  other  method,  or  by  no  other  testimony,  the  character 
and  moral  status  of  a  community,  or  state,  may  be  judged  from 
the  police  and  prison  records.  Unless  we  expect  to  find  angelic 
perfection,  however,  we  must  not  make  too  much  of  the  former; 
but  convictions  for  felonies  are  real  indicators,  and  these  are 
to  be  found  recorded  in  the  reports  of  state  prisons.  Accord- 
ingly, the  following  table  has  been  compiled  from  the  annual 
reports  of  the  state  penitentiary  of  Utah  for  the  first  sixteen 
years  of  statehood. 

Convictions  for  Felonies,  1896-1911 


County 


96     97     98     99     00     01     02     03     04    05     06     07     08    09     10     II  Tot. 


Beaver    i 

Box  Elder  ..7  3  3 

Cache    4  5  8 

Carbon     3  •  • 

Davis    2  3  2 

Emery    i  4  5 

Garfield    ....     2  . .  3 

Grand     i  . . 

Iron    I  1 

Juab    3  I  2 

Kane     i  4 

Millard     3  1 

Morgan 

Piute    3  I 

Rich    4  .. 

Salt  Lake    ..19  29  32 

San   Juan i 

Sanpete    ....     i  4  2 

Sevier     2  2  . . 

Summit    ....     2  2  . . 

Tooele    2  .. 

Uintah     ....     2  i  5 

Utah     10  21  14 

Wasatch     2  i 

Washington  .     2  . .  i 

Wayne    2  . . 

Weber    23  14  4 

U.   S.   Ct...     4  4  9 

Various 


8       8 


31     34 


I 
29      52 


56     74 

2      . . 

I       2 

I 


75  79 

2  . . 
1  3 

1  3 
I 

3  6 

2  . . 
8  4 
2  I 


50     32     25     22     20     31     34     26 

6       5      ..        I       3      

10     . .      ..       4       6       7       2       5 


it 

63 
73 
53 

SO 

W 


25 
I* 
17 
13 

ID 

8 
706 
II 
43 
21 
27 
27 
33 
149 

'\ 

t 

355 

37 

35 


Residents  of 

Utah  ....  12  25  30  33  17  21 

17  24  24  26  21  22  26  26  29  24  377 

Non-Residents 

of  Utah..  ^2     91  69  67  82  81 

79  107  91  108  88  112  131  140  126  137  1581 

Totals  84  1x6  99  100  99  102 

96  131  115  134  109  134  157  166  155  161  1958 

The  analysis  of  this  table  is  most  interesting,  as  an  indicator  of 
the  law-abiding  character  of  the  people  of  Utah.  Apparently, 
we  have,  in  the  first  16  years  of  statehood,  a  total  of  1958 
commitments  to  the  State  Penitentiary;  out  of  which  but  377 
were  of  residents  of  the  State  of  Utah,  or  about  19.25%  of 
the  whole.  Taking  the  average  population,  as  given  in  the  last 
three  censuses  (1890,  1900,  1910),  as  about  286,000,  we  find  that 


i6o  THE  REAL  MORMONISM 

the  m  commitments  of  residents  represent  about  1.32%  of  the 
total  average  population  during  the  entire  period.  Furthermore, 
according  to  the  representations  of  the  authorities,  the  greater 
number  of  commitments  in  any  year  come  from  places  near 
railway  centres,  or  from  mining  regions,  or  localities  in  which 
large  numbers  of  outsiders  are  likely  to  be  employed.  The  large 
numbers  of  commitments  from  Salt  Lake,  Utah  and  Weber  coun- 
ties, 1,210  in  all,  or  a  little  less  than  %  of  the  total,  shows  the 
results  of  the  influx  of  outsiders,  who  are  particularly  numerous 
in  these  counties.  It  is  also  interesting  to  notice  that  the  figures 
already  given,  combined  with  those  for  Carbon  and  Juab  counties, 
now  prevailingly  "gentile"  in  population,  give  a  total  of  1308, 
or  over  %  of  the  entire  number  of  commitments,  although  the 
population  figures  in  the  last  three  censuses  are  only  slightly  over 
one-half  of  the  figures  for  the  entire  territory  or  state. 

According  to  the  reports  of  the  state  bureau  of  statistics,  the 
total  number  of  convictions  in  the  state  courts  for  all  classes  of 
offenses  are  as  follows:  339  in  1900;  431  in  1902;  506  in  1903; 
459  in  1904;  520  in  1905;  195  in  1909;  222  in  1910.  The  most 
serious  of  these  offenses,  numerically  speaking,  are  given  in 
the  following  table  compiled  from  the  records  of  the  bureau  of 
statistics : 

Crimes  and  Misdemeanors  Commonest  in  Utah  in  Seven  Years  of 

Record 

Pop. 
Offense  1900  1902  1903  1904  1905  1909  1910  Totals   Centres 

Assault 16  23  21  26  13  5  10  114  51 

Battery 10  14  i9  32  3  5  3  86  30 

Burglary    21  30  19  29  57  75  60  291  199 

(Disturbing   Peace...  58  56  81  62  21  2  ..  280  loi 

House-breaking 12  19  21  11  8  ..  ..  71  31 

Gd.  Larceny 14  14  23  19  19  22  34  145  75 

Pt  Larceny  57  75  81  45  64  3  4  329  205 

Mai.  Mischief 23  7  n  6  5  ••  ••  52  24 

Unclassified    58  115  162  130  193  10  ..  668  482 

Totals  269    353    438    360    383    122    III    2036        1198 

Total  for  Year 339    431    506    459    520    195    222    2672        1745 

This  table  exhibits  the  fact  that,  in  the  seven  years  of  record, 
there  analyzed,  2,036  convictions  out  of  a  grand  total  of  2,672 
were  had  for  eight  crimes  and  misdemeanors  of  varying  degrees 
of  gravity,  and  a  number  of  others,  here  bunched  together  under 
the  head  of  "unclassified."  Moreover,  1,198  of  these  were 
committed  in  the  centres  of  population.  Salt  Lake,  Utah  and 
Weber  counties,  which,  as  shown  by  the  preceding  table,  gave, 


MORAL  RECORD  OF  THE  MORMON  PEOPLE     i6i 

also,  the  greater  number  of  commitments  to  the  state  penitentiary 
in  the  first  i6  years  of  statehood.  Out  of  the  grand  total  of 
convictions  for  every  class  of  crime,  as  just  given,  1,745  were 
had  in  these  same  three  counties,  leaving  a  remainder  of  927 
convictions  in  seven  years  of  record  to  be  distributed  over  the 
entire  remainder  of  the  state  of  Utah.  We  also  see  that,  with  the 
eight  offenses  specified,  and  the  "unclassified,"  1,198  were  com- 
mitted in  these  centres  of  population,  leaving  a  total  of  838 
for  evil-doers  in  the  remainder  of  the  state. 

When  we  consider  that  the  state  of  Utah  is  largely  Mormon, 
with  the  exception  of  Carbon,  Juab  and  Salt  Lake  counties,  and 
sections  of  Utah  and  Weber  counties,  where  there  are  large  set- 
tlements of  people  of  other  persuasions,  it  is  fairly  clear  that 
Mormonism  is  effective  in  reducing  the  crime  average  to  some 
intelligible  extent.  It  may  be  objected  that  the  larger  percentage 
of  all  offenses  have  been  committed  in  or  near  the  great  centres 
of  population,  as  in  all  states,  but  the  penitentiary  records,  as 
above  quoted,  show  only  377  actual  residents  of  Utah,  in  a  total 
of  1,958  convictions,  of  which  1,210  were  recorded  from  Salt 
Lake,  Utah  and  Weber  counties. 

The  state  statistics  of  the  state  of  Utah  give  us,  also,  signifi- 
cant data  on  the  classes  of  crimes  most  often  charged  against 
Mormons,  by  their  traducers  —  impurity  and  homicide.  We  will, 
therefore,  analyze  the  returns  in  these  matters  also.  Taking 
the  figures  covering  the  offenses  of  adultery,  bigamy,  fornication, 
unlawful  cohabitation,  rape,  criminal  conversation,  homicide,  and, 
also,  abortion,  during  the  seven  years  already  analyzed,  we  have 
the  results  shown  in  the  following  table. 

Crimes  of  Impurity  and  Violence  in  Seven  Years  of  Record  in  Utah 

Pop. 
Offense  1901  1902  1903  1904  1905  1909  1910  Totals   Centres 

Adultery,  etc 18       8        7  14      15      12      17  91  38 

Abortion I        i        i       ..  3 

Rape  4       2        2      8  5 

Crim.  Con 2        2        6  4        9        3        6  32  15 

Homicide 3        3        5  ••        4        3        2  20  9 

Totals  27      IS      20      19      29      19      25      154  67 

This  table  shows  that  of  crimes  of  lewdness  58  out  of  131  were 
committed  in  the  centres  of  population,  as  would  be  the  case 
in  any  other  state;  9  out  of  the  twenty  homicides  occurred  in 
the  same  region.  It  is  significant  that  no  evidence  of  florid 
excess  exists  in  the  records.  Although,  in  default  of  data  touch- 
ing the  religious  or  national  affiliation  of  any  of  the  persons  con- 


i62  THE  REAL  MORMONISM 

victed  of  crimes  and  misdemeanors,  it  must  be  admitted  that  the 
State  of  Utah  shows  a  very  clean  record,  so  far  as  its  regular 
residents  are  concerned.  We  find,  at  least,  no  figures  condemn- 
ing Mormonism. 


The  accusations  Of  evil  behavior  have  been  absurdly  overdone 
by  the  enemies  of  Mormonism.  The  following  homely  verses 
sum  the  virtues  claimed  by  Mormons  as  the  consequence  of  their 
faith.  They  are  worthy  attention  as  being  from  the  pen  of  a  non- 
member  of  the  Church. 

"Where  courts,  rumshops,  brothels  are  naught. 
Except  where  Gentiles  their  customs  brought. 
Where  water  instead  of  wine  is  sent 
To  administer  the  sacrament! 
Where  thieves  and  blacklegs  never  go. 
And  tramps  and  bummers  have  no  show! 
Where  idle  fellows  all  dislike, 
And  where  the  workmen  never  strike! 
Where  bad  diseases  are  not  known. 
And  Restelism  has  never  grown! 
Where  every  workman  has  house  and  barn. 
And  every  farmer  owns  his  farm ! 
Where  all  the  children  go  to  school, 
And  where  you  cannot  find  a  fool ! 
Where  banks  don't  break  and  Ring  intrigues 
Are  not  as  thick  as  Union  Leagues ! 
Where  women  as  well  as  men  are  sent 
When  Mormons  elect  their  President ! 
Where  no  drunkard  murders  his  bride. 
And  ends  his  life  by  suicide! 
Where  reform  don't  mean  a  prison, 
The  flag  that  floats  is  Mormonism !  '* 

—  The  Agitator  (Buffalo,  N.  Y.),  Oct.,  1877. 


Ill 

THE  TEACHINGS  OF  MORMONISM 

"  It  is  the  first  principle  of  the  Gospel  to  know  for  a  certainty  the  character  of  God, 
and  to  know  that  we  may  converse  with  Him  as  one  man  converses  with  another." 

—  Joseph  Smith. 


CHAPTER  XIII 

THE  THEOLOGY  OF   MORMONISM 

The  theology  of  Mormonism  is  a  consistent  body  of  doctrine, 
in  which  all  parts  belong  together  as  elements  of  a  logical  system, 
also,  in  a  very  real  sense,  a  definite  and  intelligent  attempt  to 
forestall  the  numerous  questions,  and  to  settle  the  many  prob- 
lems that  have  arisen  in  traditional  systems  of  thought.  Whether 
or  not,  as  claimed,  its  doctrines  are  based  upon  a  new  series  of 
divine  revelations,  it  is  perfectly  evident  to  the  informed  and 
unprejudiced  mind  that  these  new  doctrines  and  interpretations 
were  first  formulated  by  a  mind  keenly  and  intelligently  alive  to 
the  current  difficulties  and  contradictions  of  theological  thinking, 
also  thoroughly  convinced  of  the  ultimate  and  sufficient  authority 
of  Scripture.  Careful  and  conscientious  study  will  reveal  no 
trace  of  the  "  illogicality "  and  "  irrationality "  so  confidently 
attributed  to  it  by  numerous  critics ;  nor,  in  view  of  the  hideous 
absurdities  and  perversions  in  several  representative  systems, 
do  these  accusations  come  with  any  very  good  grace. 

Mormon  theology  is  based  flatly  upon  a  thorough  and  consistent 
belief  in  divine  revelation,  and,  if  it  is  to  be  criticized  at  all, 
it  may  be  said  to  be  somewhat  more  "  literal "  in  its  interpreta- 
tion of  Scripture  than  many  authorities  might  consider  neces- 
sary. It  holds  a  position,  however,  which  may  be  called  "  ra- 
tional "  and  "  consistent "  in  a  very  superior  sense,  since,  as 
seems  evident,  it  holds  to  two  reasonable  principles:  (i)  that 
the  Author  of  revelation  was  competent  to  express  His  thoughts 
in  comprehensible  language;  (2)  that  revelation  is  intended  to 
reveal,  to  furnish  the  mind  with  actual  information  on  matters 
spiritual,  and  not  to  puzzle  it  with  evident  contradictions  and 
manufactured  "  mysteries,"  which,  although  indicating  nothing 
more  forcibly  than  the  essential  limitations  in  the  minds  of 
theological  speculators  of  the  past,  are  impudently  recommended 
as  matters  for  the  '*  exercise  of  faith,"  since  so  evidently  baffling 
to  the  reason.  Thus,  while  asserting  its  belief  in  the  almighti- 
ness  of  God,  it  avoids  curious  questionings  in  regard  to  His 
ultimate   "nature,"   which   represent   His   being   as   hopelessly 

165 


i66  THE  REAL  MORMONISM 

contradictory  to  the  "  unassisted  reason  "  and,  in  the  last  analysis, 
composed  of  a  "  substance  "  so  utterly  foreign  to  anything  evi- 
dently real  to  human  thought,  that  it  seems  to  be  equivalent 
to  nothingness.  This  system  of  doctrine  is,  therefore,  both 
logical  in  thought  and  practical  in  applicability  to  life;  avoiding 
the  wretched  refinements  and  speculations  of  all  schools  of  tra- 
ditional scholasticism,  and  propounding  principles  capable  of 
meeting  the  human  mind  on  its  own  ground.  These  qualities 
inhere  in  no  other  system  whatever,  as  is  amply  evidenced  by 
the  fact  that  most  of  the  sects  of  Protestantism  —  each  of  them 
founded  originally  on  the  groundwork  of  somebody's  findings  and 
opinions  on  God,  sin,  etc. —  are  at  the  present  day  rapidly  re- 
treating from  the  old-time  theological  standards  and  accepting 
such  "  infidel "  hypotheses  as  the  so-called  "  higher  criticism " 
and  "  evolution  theologies,"  along  with  various  sentimental  and 
half-fledged  formulations  on  various  bases  of  compromise,  all  of 
which  are  mere  transitions  **  from  bad  to  worse."  If  a  system 
of  theology  is  such  in  any  real  sense,  a  "  God-science,"  it  would 
not  be  necessary  to  accord  a  secondary  consideration  to  "  mere 
doctrines,"  and  to  make  feeble  and  ineffective  attempts  to  em- 
phasize "  righteousness  "  and  the  various  long-neglected  "  social 
and  moral  virtues." 

The  fundamental  tenet  of  Mormonism  is  that  the  system  of 
doctrine  and  practice  embodied  in  its  theology  and  church  or- 
ganization represents  a  full  and  complete  restoration  of  pure, 
primitive  Christianity,  as  preached  by  Christ  and  his  apostles, 
but,  supposedly  lost  and  obscured  through  the  general  apostasy 
of  all  professing  Christian  bodies  and  systems  throughout  the 
succeeding  centuries.  In  this  position,  of  course,  it  makes  no 
unfamiliar  claims  or  charges,  since  accusations  of  "  apostasy " 
and  claims  to  "  restoration  "  abound  in  Christian  history.  With- 
out considering  all  the  eccentric  and  local  movements  of  the  first 
fifteen  centuries  of  our  era,  each  of  which  professed  more  or 
less  definitely  to  be  the  true  Christianity  restored,  the  conditions 
are  all  fulfilled  in  the  great  disturbance  of  the  sixteenth  cen- 
tury, known  as  the  Protestant  "  reformation."  At  this  time, 
in  the  bitter  denunciation  of  the  Catholic  Church,  and  of  all 
that  belongs  to  it,  the  accusation  of  apostasy,  also  the  vital  need 
of  a  "  restoration "  of  the  Gospel,  were  abundantly  expressed. 
In  opposition  to  the  Roman  claim  of  a  centralized  and  per- 
manent authority,  located  in  the  Pope,  the  reformers  emphasized 
the  doctrine  of  the  "  sufficiency  of  Scripture,"  which  each  man 
was  urged  to  read  and  digest  for  himself.  They  evidently  relied 
less  upon  Scripture,  however,  than  upon  their  own  interpreta- 
tions of  its  teachings.     Hence,  they  separated  and   quarrelled 


THE  THEOLOGY  OF  MORMONISM  167 

among  themselves  on  hair-splitting  points  of  mere  metaphysics, 
and  repelled  all  well-intentioned  efforts  after  unity.  They  neg- 
lected, also,  the  valuable  element  of  strong  organization  among 
their  followers,  and  were  not  moved  to  attempt  any  such  achieve- 
ment, even  as  a  simple  means  of  combatting  the  strongly-knitted 
forces  of  Catholicism.  It  may  be  seen,  therefore,  that  they 
launched  a  regime  of  individualism  and  self-assertion,  rather 
than  an  era  of  restored  truth  of  any  variety.  Thus,  there  has 
followed,  as  an  inevitable  result,  the  heresy-building  and  sect- 
launching  activities  of  the  last  four  centuries,  which  have  weak- 
ened the  influence  of  Protestantism  as  a  movement,  and  ab- 
surdly divided  the  forces  supposedly  assembled  to  combat  evil. 
They  have  also  acted  most  effectively  to  obscure  many  vital 
points  of  Scripture  teaching,  without  which,  as  may  be  con- 
sidered evident,  full  obedience  to  the  commands  of  Christ  are 
difficult  or  impossible. 

It  may  be  logical  to  hold,  therefore,  that  the  work  which  the 
founders  of  Protestantism  rashly  undertook  still  remains  to  be 
accomplished,  and  that  there  is  still  a  demand  for  real  reforma- 
tion and  a  genuine  restoration  of  the  Gospel  —  if,  indeed,  it  be 
any  longer  rational  to  consider  the  Gospel  as  something  funda- 
mental, essential  and  permanent,  rather  than  a  "  consummation  " 
of  the  "  best  efforts  "  of  the  '*  rationalistic  "  dreamers  of  the  pres- 
ent or  of  the  future.  The  discernment  and  statement  of  this  fact 
by  Joseph  Smith,  or  by  any  other  person,  is  not  unmistakable 
evidence  of  evil  qualities  or  intentions  —  it  may  even  be  held  to 
be  an  evidence  of  clear  discernment  and  real  spiritual  vitality, 
either  with  or  without  a  valid  call  from  God.  The  consequent 
attempt  to  supply  the  world's  crying  need  of  numerous  neglepted 
and  dishonored  truths  and  virtues  must  be  judged  as  proper 
or  abortive,  solely  on  the  basis  of  the  principles  which  it  em- 
bodies and  the  performances  which  it  renders  possible.  What- 
ever one  may  see  fit  to  say  about  the  origin,  character  and 
motives  of  Joseph  Smith,  it  cannot  be  denied  that  he  deserves 
credit  for  accurately  gauging  the  needs  of  the  world,  as  regards 
the  ethical  duties  recommended  by  Christ  and  so  completely  neg- 
lected by  his  professed  followers,  and  for  contriving,  or  pro- 
mulgating, means  and  methods  which  have  succeeded,  in  a  great 
measure,  where  others  have  failed  sadly.  That  a  "  restoration  " 
or  "  revival "  of  the  pure,  primitive  Christianity  is  a  great  desid- 
eratum of  our  religious,  moral  and  social  life  has  been  acknowl- 
edged by  numerous  representative  thinkers  and  preachers,  who 
have  not  hesitated  to  state  that  our  past  performances  promise 
ill  enough  in  the  way  of  preparing  the  world  for  a  rei^  of 
truth  and  righteousness. 


i68  THE  REAL  MORMONISM 

The  professions  of  Mormonism  as  the  actual  restoration  of 
New  Testament  Christianity  derive  a  considerable  show  of  plausa- 
bility  in  the  fact  that,  in  a  very  real  and  vivid  sense,  it  proposes 
to  follow  the  Bible  implicitly.  Thus,  in  its  primary  teaching,  it 
postulates  the  actual  restoration  of  revelation,  which  is  to  say, 
the  direct  communication  of  the  will  and  counsel  of  God  to 
mankind.  With  very  consistent  adherence  to  many  strong  sug- 
gestions in  Scripture,  it  may  be  credited  with  holding  that,  just 
as  the  person  of  the  man  Christ  brought  the  presence  and  power 
of  God  down  to  this  world,  so  the  Church,  founded  to  continue 
his  work  and  incarnation,  must  perpetuate  the  personal  presence 
and  communion  of  God,  precisely  as  they  were  enjoyed  by  those 
living  in  the  days  of  Christ's  earth  life.  Whether  or  not,  as  may 
be  questioned  by  some,  such  an  attitude  be  authorized  or  Chris- 
tianly  proper,  it  may  be  held  consistently  that  it  represents  a 
very  normal  and  vital  phase  of  religious  development.  Even 
in  this  day  of  "  material  progress  "  and  crude  intellectual  reso- 
lutions of  the  "  religious  consciousness,"  which  have  already 
eliminated  for  many  minds  all  ideals  not  "  rationally  consistent  '* 
with  the  hypotheses  of  experimental  scientists,  one  must  be 
touched  often  and  truly  by  that  "  childlike  outlook,"  which,  with 
Abraham,  looks  to  find  God  "  at  the  door  of  the  tent,"  or  hopes, 
like  Moses,  to  talk  with  God,  "  as  a  man  speaketh  unto  his 
friend."  There  is  certainly  much  in  the  New  Testament  that 
strongly  suggests  a  belief  in  the  constant  direct  communion  of 
the  believing  soul  and  its  God,  as  a  means  of  individual  divine 
guidance,  an  element  sorely  missed  among  us,  also  for  impart- 
ing the  various  blessings  and  endowments,  known  as  the  "gifts 
of  the  Spirit."  A  perfectly  restored  Christianity  should  cer- 
tainly give  some  other  account  of  these  matters  than  to  deny 
merely  that  they  are  of  operative  importance  at  the  present  time, 
or  to  assert  that  they  were  reserved  solely  for  the  "  formative 
period"  of  the  Christian  era,  the  days  of  Christ's  apostles, 
neither  of  which  statements  is  warranted  in  authority,  or  even 
intelligent. 

This  point  was  touched  in  a  sermon  preached  by  Joseph 
Smith,  June  ii,  1843,  in  which  he  defends  his  claim  to  be  the 
instrument  of  revelation  from  God  in  the  following  words: 

"  Many  of  the  sects  cry  out,  *  Oh,  I  have  the  testimony  of  Jesus ;  I 

have  the  Spirit  of  God :  but  away  with  Joe  Smith ;  he  says  he  is  a  prophet ; 

but  there  are  to  be  no  prophets  or  revelators  in  the  last  days.'     Stop,  sir ! 

The  Revelator  (John)  says  that  the  testimony  of  Jesus  is  the  spirit  of 

prophecy;  so  by  your  own  mouth  you  are  condemned." — History  of  the 

Church,  Vol.  V.,  p.  427. 

Some  six  months  previously  he  had  made  an  entry  in  his 
journal  to  the  same  effect,  as  follows; 


THE  THEOLOGY  OF  MORMONISM  169 

"If  any  person  should  ask  me  if  I  were  a  prophet,  I  should  not  deny  it, 
as  that  would  give  me  the  lie ;  for,  according  to  John,  the  testimony  of 
Jesus  is  the  spirit  of  prophecy ;  therefore,  if  I  profess  to  be  a  witness  or 
teacher,  and  have  not  the  spirit  of  prophecy,  which  is  the  testimony  of 
Jesus,  I  must  be  a  false  witness ;  but  if  I  be  a  true  teacher  and  witness, 
I  must  possess  the  spirit  of  prophecy,  and  that  constitutes  a  prophet; 
and  any  man  who  says  he  is  a  teacher  or  preacher  of  righteousness,  and 
denies  the  spirit  of  prophecy,  is  a  liar,  and  the  truth  is  not  in  him ;  and  by 
this  key  false  teachers  and  imposters  may  be  detected." — History  of  the 
Church,  Vol.  V.,  pp.  215-216. 

About  ten  years  previously,  however,  on  April  13,  1833,  he  had 
written  a  letter  to  one  Jared  Carter,  in  which  occurs  the  follow- 
ing explanation  of  the  recognized  limitation  in  respect  to  re- 
ceiving revelations,  entailed  by  the  constitution  of  the  Church 
government  and  constitution.     He  says: 

"  Respecting  the  vision  you  speak  of  we  do  not  consider  ourselves 
bound  to  receive  any  revelation  from  any  one  man  or  woman  without  his 
being  legally  constituted  and  ordained  to  that  authority,  and  giving  suf- 
ficient proof  of  it. 

"I  will  inform  you  that  it  is  contrary  to  the  economy  of  God  for 
any  member  of  the  Church,  or  any  one,  to  receive  instructions  for  those 
in  authority,  higher  than  themselves ;  therefore  you  will  see  the  im- 
propriety of  giving  heed  to  them;  but  if  any  person  have  a  vision  or  a 
visitation  from  a  heavenly  messenger,  it  must  be  for  his  own  benefit  and 
instruction;  for  the  fundamental  principles,  government  and  doctrine  of 
the  Church  are  vested  in  the  keys  of  the  kingdom." — Ibid.,  Vol.  I.,  p. 
338. 

As  the  doctrine  of  restored  revelation  is  the  fundamental 
teaching  of  Mormon  theology,  so  also  is  it  the  sufficient  ex- 
planation of  the  absurd  and  abominable  persecutions  visited  upon 
Smith  and  his  people,  since  the  very  beginning  of  their  career. 
The  claim  that  these  acts  of  violence  were  originated  in  resist- 
ance to  actual  "  impurities  "  and  other  forms  of  evil-doing  are 
mere  pretences,  without  sufficient  warrant.  The  fact  is  that 
Joseph  Smith,  being  an  accredited  minister  or  preacher  of  no 
sect  whatever,  had  dared  to  **  usurp  the  functions  and  preroga- 
tives "  of  the  preacher  class,  or  profession,  who,  in  current  esti- 
mation, should  have  been  the  proper  channels  for  any  further 
revelations  that  God  might  be  pleased  to  give  to  the  world.  He 
was,  in  this  matter,  precisely  what  the  Puritan  hierarchy  of  New 
England  denominated  a  "  wanton  gospeler,"  which  is  to  say,  an 
unauthorized  preacher,  and  his  influence  had  the  same  significance 
in  the  minds  of  the  Protestant  clergy  as  has  an  "  unethical  '*  or 
"  quack  "  physician  to  the  medical  profession.  That  he  claimed 
to  have  received  revelations,  in  spite  of  the  current  understand- 
ing of  Revelation  xxii.  18,  as  applying  to  all  presumed  or  alleged 
revelations  in  addition  to  the  Scriptures  of  the  Old  and  New 
Testaments,  may  have  excited  the  opposition  of  some  minds. 
The  bulk  of  the  arguments  used  against  him,  however,  have  been 


170  THE  REAL  MORMONISM 

devoted  to  proving,  by  fair  means  or  foul,  that  he  was  not  at 
all  the  kind  of  person  who  could  be  considered  worthy  to  com- 
mune with  God  on  any  terms  —  worse  than  the  repentant  thief 
on  the  cross,  worse,  also,  than  Saul  on  the  way  to  Damascus. 

Although  the  leading  examples  of  revelation  claimed  by  the 
Mormons  are  to  be  found  in  the  inspired  utterances  and  com- 
mandments in  the  Book  known  as  Doctrine  and  Covenants, 
promulgated  by  Joseph  Smith,  the  accepted  teaching  is  that  revela- 
tion is  continuous  and  constantly  augmenting.  Thus,  the  higher 
officers  of  the  Church  are  the  regular  and  accredited  channels 
of  revelations  on  all  matters  pertaining  to  government  and  faith. 
This  constitutes  the  reality  of  the  theocratic  rule,  so  widely  ad- 
vertised and  condemned  by  anti-Mormon  writers  and  agitators. 
If  unfounded,  however,  it  is  merely  a  very  devout  and  human 
belief  that  has  never  been  notably  misrequited  by  the  accredited 
authorities  of  the  Church. 

Such  inspiration,  however,  by  no  means  totals  the  possibilities 
of  association  and  communication  between  God  and  man.  The 
Mormons  live  literally,  as  they  devoutly  believe,  in  constant  com- 
munion with  God.  They  hold  that  the  true  believer  becomes  in 
a  literal  sense,  and  in  this  life,  a  "  joint  heir  with  Christ,"  and  is 
to  be  endowed,  therefore,  with  "  spiritual  gifts,"  as  promised 
in  the  Scriptures,  in  addition  to  the  continuous  "  testimony  "of 
the  truth  of  the  Gospel,  following  on  the  "gift  of  the  Holy 
Ghost."  Indeed,  if  we  may  judge  from  published  statements 
and  from  the  genius  of  the  entire  system,  religion  is  not  merely 
a  totality  of  beliefs  and  duties,  additional  to  and  apart  from  the 
affairs  of  every-day  life,  but,  in  a  very  real  sense,  the  proper 
sum  and  center  of  life's  activities.  That  is,  at  least,  the  design 
apparently  followed  in  conceiving  and  carrying  out  the  details  of 
the  wonderful  organization  of  the  Church.  Thus,  because  re- 
ligion is  properly  to  be  regarded  as  life  itself,  we  find  the  often- 
repeated  claim  that,  so  far  as  the  doctrines  of  rehgion  are  con- 
cerned, their  truth  is  not  merely  accepted  "  on  faith,"  not  merely 
believed,  but  known  and  understood,  sure  and  certain. 

With  Mormonism,  therefore,  theology  is  the  God-science,  par 
excellence,  and  its  characteristics  are  thus  summarized  by  Parley 
P.  Pratt: 

"  First.  Theology  is  the  science  of  communication,  or  of  correspond- 
ence, between  God,  angels,  spirits,  and  men,  by  means  of  visions,  dreams, 
interpretations,  conversations,  inspirations,  or  the  spirit  of  prophecy  and 
revelation. 

"  Second.  It  is  the  science  by  which  worlds  are  organized,  sustained 
and  directed,  and  the  elements  controlled. 

"Third.  It  is  the  science  of  knowledge,  and  the  key  and  power 
thereof,  by  which  the  heavens  are  opened,  and  lawful  access  is  obtained 


THE  THEOLOGY  OF  MORMONISM  171 

to  the  treasures  of  wisdom  and  intelligence  —  inexhaustible,  infinite,  em- 
bracing- the  past,  the  present,  and  the  future. 

"  Fourth.  It  is  the  science  of  life,  endless  and  eternal,  by  which  the 
living  are  changed  or  translated,  and  the  dead  raised. 

"  Fifth.  It  is  the  science  of  faith,  reformation,  and  remission  of  sins, 
whereby  a  fallen  race  of  mortals  may  be  justified,  cleansed,  and  re- 
stored to  the  communion  and  fellowship  of  that  Holy  Spirit  which  is  the 
light  of  the  world,  and  of  every  intelligence  therein. 

"Sixth.  It  is  the  science  of  spiritual  gifts,  by  which  the  blind  see, 
the  deaf  hear,  the  lame  walk,  the  sick  are  healed,  and  demons  are  ex- 
pelled from  the  human  system. 

"  Seventh.  It  is  the  science  of  all  other  sciences  and  useful  arts, 
being,  in  fact,  the  very  fountain  from  which  they  emanate.  It  includes 
philosophy,  astronomy,  history,  mathematics,  geography,  languages,  the 
science  of  letters,  and  blends  the  knowledge  of  all  matters  of  fact,  in 
every  branch  of  art,  or  of  research.  It  includes,  also,  all  the  scientific 
discoveries  and  inventions,  agriculture,  the  mechanical  arts,  architecture, 
ship-building,  the  properties  and  applications  of  the  mariner's  compass, 
navigation,  and  music.  All  that  is  useful,  great  and  good,  all  that  is 
calculated  to  sustain,  comfort,  instruct,  edify,  purijty,  refine  or  exalt  in- 
telligences, originated  by  this  science,  and  this  science  alone,  all  other 
sciences  being  but  branches  growing  out  of  this,  the  root'  —  Key  to 
Theology,  pp.  15-16. 

Elder  Pratt  then  proceeds  to  justify  his  claim  that  theology 
includes  and  originates  all  other  sciences,  by  a  series  of  examples 
from  Scripture,  shov^^ing  that  God  originated  the  various  arts  and 
industries  before  man  ever  practiced  them,  and  that  at  the  be- 
ginning, at  least,  they  resulted  from  man's  communion  with  the 
Deity. 

It  may  be  readily  understood  from  this  passage  that  the  Gos- 
pel of  the  Latter-day  Saints  is  at  bottom  a  very  typical  example 
of  theosophic  mysticism,  v^hich  is  to  say,  a  system  postulating 
the  essential  congruity  of  Divine  and  human  spirits,  their  proper 
constant  association,  and  the  possibility  of  their  complete  har- 
mony, present  as  well  as  ultimate.  In  this  particular  it  makes  a 
strong  appeal  to  the  normal  religious  instinct,  since  the  mystical 
tendency  is  always  effective  in  imparting  a  sense  of  reality  to 
religious  experience  and  authority.  Undoubtedly,  this  essential 
mysticism  was  the  secret  of  the  wonderful  growth  of  the  church 
in  the  early  days  of  its  history.  In  the  midst  of  the  seething 
unrest  in  religious  circles  at  the  time,  there  were  very  many 
who  passionately  desired  something  more  vital  than  the  conven- 
tional creedalisms  of  the  traditional  sects,  and  whose  minds 
were  prepared  to  believe  that  God  must  speak  again  to  show  the 
true  way  of  life.  Hence,  the  announcement  of  the  claim  that 
he  had  actually  spoken,  to  restore  the  Gospel  and  give  new  direc- 
tions for  human  guidance,  was  welcomed  in  many  quarters. 
Furthermore,  the  Mormon  insistence  that  the  "  spiritual  gifts  " 
mentioned  in  the  Gospels,  and  in  the  writings  of  Christ's  apos- 


172  THE  REAL  MORMONISM 

ties,  are  to  be  expected, —  nay,  actually  exist  —  as  a  consequence 
of  conforming  to  the  requirements  and  ordinances  of  the  faith, 
is  another  very  essential  point  of  advantage  over  the  sectarian 
quibble  that  such  gifts  were  intended  only  for  the  early  days  of 
Christianity.  In  this  belief  Mormonism  antedated  by  many  years 
the  belief,  now  growing  in  our  midst,  and  early  emphasized  by 
Edward  Irving,  that  healing,  prophecy,  and  other  "  miraculous 
powers,"  are  the  proper  endowments  of  believers.  This  matter 
is  well  explained  by  Elder  James  E.  Talmage,  as  follows: 

"  All  men  who  would  officiate  with  propriety  in  the  ordinances  of  the 
Gospel  must  be  commissioned  for  their  exalted  duties  by  the  power  and 
authority  of  heaven.  When  so  divinely  invested,  these  servants  of  the 
Lord  will  not  be  lacking  in  proofs  of  the  Master's  favor;  for  it  has 
ever  been  characteristic  of  the  dealings  of  God  with  his  people,  to  mani- 
fest his  power  by  the  bestowal  of  a  variety  of  ennobling  graces,  which 
are  properly  called  gifts  of  the  Spirit.  These  are  oft-times  exhibited  in 
a  manner  so  diverse  from  the  usual  order  of  things  as  to  be  called 
miraculous  and  supernatural.  .  .  .  We  may  safely  regard  the  existence 
of  these  spiritual  powers  as  one  of  the  essential  characteristics  of  the 
true  Church ;  where  they  are  not,  the  priesthood  of  God  does  not  operate. 

"  Mormon  solemnly  declares  that  the  days  of  miracles  will  not  pass 
from  the  Church,  as  long  as  there  shall  be  a  man  upon  earth  to  be  saved ; 
*  For,'  says  he,  *  it  is  by  faith  that  miracles  are  wrought :  and  it  is  by 
faith  that  angels  appear  and  minister  unto  men ;  wherefore  if  these  things 
have  ceased,  wo  be  unto  the  children  of  men,  for  it  is  because  of  un- 
belief, and  all  is  vain.'  .  .  . 

"The  gifts  here  spoken  of  are  essentially  endowments  of  power  and 
authority,  through  which  the  purposes  of  God  are  accomplished,  some- 
times with  accompanying  conditions  that  appear  to  be  supernatural.  By 
such  the  sick  may  be  healed,  malignant  influences  overcome,  spirits  of 
darkness  subdued,  the  Saints,  humble  and  weak,  may  proclaim  their  tes- 
timonies and  otherwise  utter  praises  unto  God  in  new  and  strange 
tongues,  and  others  may  interpret  these  words;  the  feeble  human  intel- 
lect may  be  invigorated  by  the  heavenly  touch  of  spiritual  vision  and 
blessed  dreams,  to  see  and  comprehend  things  ordinarily  withheld  from 
mortal  senses;  direct  communication  with  the  fountain  of  all  wisdom 
may  be  established,  and  the  revelations  of  the  Divine  will  may  be  ob- 
tained. .  .  . 

"The  Latter-day  Saints  claim  to  possess  within  the  Church  all  the 
sign-gifts  promised  as  the  heritage  of  the  believer.  They  point  to  the 
unimpeached  testimonies  of  thousands  who  have  been  blessed  with  direct 
and  personal  manifestations  of  heavenly  power;  to  the  once  blind,  and 
dumb,  halt,  and  weak  in  body,  who  have  been  freed  from  their  infirmities 
through  their  faith  and  by  the  ministrations  of  the  priesthood ;  to  a  mul- 
titude who  have  voiced  their  testimony  in  tongues  with  which  they  were 
naturally  unfamiHar;  or  who  have  demonstrated  their  possession  of  the 
gift  by  a  phenomenal  mastery  of  foreign  languages,  when  such  was  nec- 
essary to  the  discharge  of  their  duties  as  preachers  of  the  word  of  God ; 
to  many  who  have  enjoyed  communion  with  heavenly  beings;  to  others 
who  have  prophesied  in  words  that  have  found  their  speedy  vindication 
in  literal  fulfillment;  and  to  the  Church  itself,  whose  growth  has  been 
guided  by  the  voice  of  its  Divine  Leader,  made  known  through  the  gift 
of  revelation."—  The  Articles  of  Faith,  pp.  219-221,  22fir-2Z7. 


THE  THEOLOGY  OF  MORMONISM  173 

Writing  to  a  very  similar  purpose,  Brigham  H.  Roberts,  the 
voluminous  historian  and  apologist  of  Mormonism,  has  the  fol- 
lowing : 

"  Protestant  writers  insist  that  the  age  of  miracles  closed  with  the 
fourth  or  fifth  century,  and  that  after  that  the  extraordinary  gifts  of  the 
Holy  Ghost  must  not  be  looked  for.  Catholic  writers,  on  the  other 
hand,  insist  that  the  power  to  perform  miracles  has  always  continued  in 
the  Church.  .  .  .  Nor  is  there  anything  in  the  Scriptures  or  in  reason 
that  would  lead  one  to  believe  that  they  were  to  be  discontinued.  Still 
this  plea  is  made  by  modern  Christians  — <  explaining  the  absence  of  these 
spiritual  powers  among  them  —  that  the  extraordinary  gifts  of  the  Holy 
Ghost  were  only  intended  to  accompany  the  proclamation  of  the  Gospel 
during  the  first  few  centuries,  until  the  church  was  able  to  make  its  way 
without  them,  and  then  they  were  to  be  done  away.  It  is  sufficient  to 
remark  upon  this  that  it  is  assumption  pure  and  simple,  and  stands  with- 
out warrant  either  of  scripture  or  right  reason ;  and  proves  that  men  had 
so  far  changed  the  religion  of  Jesus  Christ  that  it  became  a  form  of 
godliness  without  the  power  thereof." — Outlines  of  Ecclesiastical  His- 
tory, Part  H.  pp.  161-162. 

It  must  be  evident,  therefore,  that  Mormonism  has  an  immense 
advantage  over  its  traditional  opponents  in  its  insistence  that  the 
statments  of  Scripture  are  to  be  literally  received,  also  that  there 
are  no  time  limits  to  God's  promises.  Such  an  insistence  must 
make  a  strong  appeal,  particularly  to  simple  minds  —  these  are 
often  the  normal  minds  —  and  is  altogether  more  consistent.  Its 
teachings,  accordingly,  tolerate  no  evasions  based  on  "  typical," 
"  symboHcal,"  or  "  figurative  "  wrestings  of  passages  "  hard  " 
even  for  the  "  faith  of  believers,"  but  insists  on  such  interpre- 
tations as  the  language  of  Scripture  suggests.  Of  course,  this 
method  has  drawn  the  criticism  of  "  dead  Hteralism,"  the  "  letter 
that  killeth,"  "  sodden  materialism,"  etc.,  from  the  advocates  of 
systems  open  to  even  graver  characterizations.  If,  however,  the 
acceptance  of  Scripture  as  it  stands  argues  to  a  reductio  ad 
absurdum,  it  is  well  to  understand  that  fact,  and  encouraging  to 
learn  it  from  the  statements  of  alleged  "  believers." 

It  is  distinctly  unprofitable,  however,  to  dwell  upon  criticisms, 
originated  primarily  as  mere  bickerings  aimed  at  the  efforts  of  a 
"  non-professional  theologian,"  or,  yet,  to  enlarge  upon  the  su- 
perior claims,  as  alleged,  of  other  systems,  whose  assumptions, 
in  the  last  analysis,  are  unintelligible,  even  to  the  learned.  Nor 
would  any  informed  mind  suspect  undue  prejudice  at  the  basis 
of  the  statement  that  the  "  subtleties "  of  traditional  theology 
are  derived  far  more  directly  from  the  theories  of  speculative 
metaphysicians  than  from  the  statements  of  Scripture,  or  any  of 
the  reported  words  of  Christ  or  his  apostles.  As  a  matter  of 
fact,  it  is  no  more  than  logical  that  a  system  of  religious  teachings 
"  hidden  from  the  wise  and  prudent  and  revealed  unto  babes  " 
(in  learning),  also  so  clear  and  simple  that  "a  wayfaring  man, 


174  THE  REAL  MORMONISM 

though  uninstructed,  should  not  err  therein/*  should  be  pre- 
sented in  terms  that  would  admit  of  literal  acceptation.  Even 
the  attempt,  found  in  all  traditional  systems  of  theology,  to  read 
immense  metaphysical  refinements  into  the  Epistles  of  Paul  is 
not  justified  by  the  results.  As  a  matter  of  fact,  the  plain  and 
simple  statements  of  Scripture,  addressed  in  the  first  instance  to 
simple  and  unlearned  people,  outlining  the  duties  of  man  to  God 
and  to  his  neighbor,  also  setting  forth  the  merciful  provisions  of 
God  for  the  benefit  of  man,  have  been  lost  to  sight,  contemptu- 
ously neglected,  and  actually  rendered  largely  inoperative,  by 
the  perverse  habit  of  placing  the  greater  emphasis  upon  mere 
speculative  intellectualisms,  which  have  been  obtruded  as  the  real 
objects  of  faith.  The  only  antidote  for  this  intellectual  fetichism 
is  to  accept  literally,  or  else  to  reject  as  unintelligible  the  prin- 
ciples upon  which  the  Gospel  is  supposedly  based.  It  is  a  desir- 
able achievement,  indeed,  to  rescue  religious  thought  from  the 
toils  of  so-called  philosophy,  which,  starting  out  to  explain  things 
as  they  are,  has  always  ended  by  inventing  even  more  puzzling 
and  unintelligible  situations,  which  have  been  "  improved  "  only 
by  substituting  others  of  precisely  similar  character.  It  is 
scarcely  remarkable,  therefore,  that  we  hear  the  familiar  Protes- 
tant statement  of  the  present  day  that  "  theology  is  not  reli- 
gion," and  witness  frantic  and  largely  ineffective  attempts  to 
achieve  a  practical  moral  and  social  reform  in  the  sectarian  pre- 
sentation of  Christianity.  The  attitude  of  Mormonism  on  this 
matter  is  well  set  forth  in  the  following  words  of  Judge  A.  B. 
Carlton,  a  close  observer  of  this  system  and  its  adherents: 

"  One  trouble  about  the  Mormons  is  that  they  are  too  primitive. 
They  have  gone  back  to  the  infancy  of  the  Christian  faith  and  organiza- 
tion, and  fanatically  hold  on  to  a  literal  interpretation  of  what  the  Chris- 
tians generally  treat  as  *  figurative/  or,  as  having  gone  into  *  innocuous 
desuetude.*  .  .  .  With  each  remove  from  the  Catholic  Church  —  first, 
'the  Reformation* — and  then  the  successive  branches,  off-shoots, 
schisms,  and  sects,  the  zealous  propagandist  of  each  new  faith  devoutly 
maintains  that  there  is  nothing  new  about  it  —  it  is  only  a  restoration 
of  primitive  Christianity.  So  the  Mormons  claim  that  they  have  the 
genuine  article  of  religion;  that  they  are  the  true  Church  of  Jesus 
Christ,  and  are  the  Saints  in  these  latter  days." — Wonderlands  of  the 
Wild  West,  p.  122. 

This  much-condemned  "  literalism "  involves,  apparently,  the 
line  of  thinking  usually  characterized  as  "  materialism,"  which, 
by  habitual  connotation,  involves  all  that  is  the  reverse  of  "  spir- 
itual," and,  as  some  pretend  to  argue,  also  the  notion  that  for 
God  we  must  substitute  some  sort  of  blind  and  impersonal 
"  force  "  or  "  law."  The  truth  is  otherwise,  however,  even  upon 
the  terms  of  speculative  philosophy,  since  the  assumption  that  all 
reality  is  to  be  understood  by  the  mind  as  analogous  to  the  order 


THE  THEOLOGY  OF  MORMONISM  175 

of  experiences  derived  from  the  world  of  "  material  existence " 
may  be  credited  as  a  distinct  and  laudable  attempt  to  render 
things  **  unseen  and  eternal"  in  some  sense  intelligible.  This 
object  is  perfectly  apparent  in  the  following  statement  of  Joseph 
Smith : 

"It  is  impossible  for  a  man  to  be  saved  in  ignorance.  There  is  no 
such  thing  as  immaterial  matter.  All  spirit  is  matter,  but  it  is  more 
fine  and  pure,  and  can  only  be  discerned  by  purer  eyes.  We  cannot  see 
it ;  but  when  our  bodies  are  purified,  we  shall  see  that  it  is  all  matter." — 
JDoctrine  and  Covenants,  cxxxi.  6-8. 

This  teaching  is  explained  by  Prof.  John  A.  Widtsoe,  a  man  of 
no  mean  learning,  in  the  following  words : 

"  Mormonism  has  frequently  been  charged  with  accepting  the  doctrine 
of  materialism.  In  one  sense,  the  followers  of  Joseph  Smith  plead  yes 
to  this  charge.  In  Mormon  theology  there  is  no  place  for  imma- 
terialism;  i.e.  for  a  God,  spirits  and  angels  that  are  not  material. 
Spirit  is  only  a  refined  form  of  matter.  It  is  beyond  the  mind  of  man  to 
conceive  of  an  immaterial  thing.  On  the  other  hand,  Joseph  Smith 
did  not  teach  that  the  kind  of  tangible  matter,  which  impresses  our 
mental  senses,  is  the  kind  of  matter  which  is  associated  with  heavenly 
beings.  The  distinction  between  the  matter  known  to  man  and  the 
spirit  matter  is  very  great;  but  no  greater  than  is  the  difference  between 
the  matter  of  the  known  elements  and  that  of  the  universal  ether  which 
forms  one  of  the  accepted  dogmas  of  science." — Joseph  Smith  as  Scien- 
tist, p.  12-13. 

Mormon  "materialism"  has  also  been  extensively  explained 
and  defended  by  Orson  Pratt  in  his  well-known  work,  The  Ab- 
surdities of  Immaterialism.  Of  course,  the  whole  matter  has 
been  ridiculed  and  travestied  by  anti-Mormon  writers,  who  have 
effectually  revealed  their  own  ignorance  in  such  statements  as 
that  Smith  represented  God  as  a  man  "  grossly  material  in  char- 
acter," and  that  the  kingdom  of  heaven  is  understood  to  be  made 
of  earth,  stones,  coal,  and  still  other  varieties  of  substance  of 
even  lesser  dignity  and  beauty.  None  of  these  critics  seem  able 
to  apprehend  the  philosophical  bearings  of  the  matter,  which 
argue  to  conclusions  far  different  in  effect.  According  to  the 
data  of  the  religious  consciousness,  the  things  of  God  are  realities 
in  a  preeminent  sense.  According  to  life  experience,  all  reali- 
ties are  to  be  variously  perceived,  or  "  sensed  " :  in  other  words, 
"matter  is  the  constant  basis  (or  possibility)  of  perceptive  ex- 
perience." Consequently,  spiritual  things,  being  also  perceptible, 
"  when  our  bodies  are  purified  " —  since  "  spiritual  things  are 
spiritually  discerned,"  however  we  may  understand  this  state- 
ment—  are  in  this  sense  directly  analogous  to  things  understood 
under  the  term  "material."  Nor,  in  the  last  analysis,  is  the 
mind  capable  of  comprehending  any  other  alternative,  however 
well  reasoned  it  may  appear  in  the  writings  of  speculative 
thinkers.    Even  though  the  mind  be  so  biassed  that  the  idea  of 


176  THE  REAL  MORMONISM 

God  is  inadmissible,  we  find  as  a  very  general  rule  that  the  idea 
thus  rejected  is  that  of  a  perfectly  personal  and  anthropomorphic 
First  Cause  which  experimental  science  is  supposed  to  have  ruled 
out  of  the  universe,  or  relegated  to  the  domains  of  the  hope- 
lessly indefinite  and  unknowable.  And  this  attitude  is  assumed, 
not  because  the  idea  of  God  is  unintelligible,  but  rather  because, 
as  supposed,  there  is  no  evidence  that  it  corresponds  to  a  reality. 
In  the  famous  phrase,  so  often  quoted  from  the  astronomer 
Laplace,  "  The  telescope  sweeps  the  heavens  without  finding 
God  " :  therefore,  as  some  conclude,  He  is  not  there.  The  mo- 
ment, however,  that  we  admit  the  existence  of  a  God,  in  any 
sense  "  personal,"  that  moment  we  visualize  a  being  in  human 
form,  visible  to  the  eyes,  audible  to  the  ears,  and,  supposedly, 
tangible  also. 

Nor  is  the  disagreement  on  this  point  other  than  a  merely 
verbal  difference.  It  is  a  controversy  over  words  and  terms, 
rather  than  over  ideas.  It  involves  an  excellent  example  of 
"  distinction  without  difference."  Even  in  the  most  **  spiritual  " 
speculations  about  the  divine  nature,  there  is  an  involved  recog- 
nition of  the  fact  that  "  spirit,"  so-called,  and  "  matter,"  so- 
called,  are  to  be  dealt  with  in  the  same  terms.  Thus,  in  the 
famous  Athanasian  controversy,  touching  the  divine  dignities  of 
Christ,  the  final  issue  with  the  Arians  reached  the  point  of  op- 
posing the  statement  that  He  is  "  of  the  same  substance  with  the 
Father,"  rather  than  "of  like  substance"  merely,  in  Greek 
phrase,  homo-ousia  against  homoi-ousia.  Nor  did  the  "  spirit- 
ual substances  "  herein  discriminated  correspond  to  any  of  the 
"  four  varieties  of  negation,"  mentioned  by  the  German  philoso- 
pher Hegel. 

The  point  of  view  from  which  the  "  materialistic  "  conception 
of  the  universe  is  attacked  is  evidently  founded  in  a  very  preva- 
lent confusion  between  findings  based  on  an  "objective"  con- 
sideration of  the  being  and  attributes  of  God  and  spirit,  as  in  the 
Athanasian  controversy,  and  the  purely  "  subjective  "  considera- 
tions treated  by  others,  in  the  attempt  to  systematize  the  uni- 
verse of  thought-experience.  Thus,  as  given  in  the  famous  for- 
mulations of  Descartes,  we  find  "  two  substances,"  discriminated 
by  their  "  attributes,"  which  are  "  extension  and  thought." 
Matter,  we  are  told,  is  "  extended,  but  has  no  thought " ;  whereas 
spirit  has  "  thought,  but  no  extension."  However,  according  to 
Descartes,  these  "  two  substances  "  find  their  sole  point  of  union 
in  the  organ  of  the  brain  known  to  anatomists  as  the  "  pineal 
gland  " ;  here  the  "  unextended  "  meets  the  "  extended."  Now, 
that  which  such  philosophers  describe  as  "  spirit "  is  not  the 
same  thing  as  appears  in  theological  literature.    All  that  Des- 


THE  THEOLOGY  OF  MORMONISM  177 

cartes  accomplished,  in  effect,  was  to  discriminate  the  experi- 
ences ("attributes")  of  subjective  and  objective,  as  may  be 
understood  by  an  example.  Thus,  in  deep  thought  or  medita- 
tion, a  man  knows  himself  subjectively,  as,  in  the  words  of  Prof. 
William  James,  a  **  stream  of  consciousness."  When,  however, 
he  turns  to  other  activities  than  those  of  mere  thinking,  he 
recognizes  that  he  is  also  a  something  extended  in  space,  or 
"  extension,"  which  is  not  involved  in  "  thought."  Nor  does 
Spinoza,  in  resolving  the  "  two  substances "  into  "  two  attri- 
butes "  of  the  one  "  substance  absolutely  infinite,"  which  he  calls 
**  God,"  accomplish  any  other  intelligible  result.  He  separates 
the  subjective  and  the  objective.  Just  as  a  man  thinks,  so  also 
God  thinks  —  howbeit  "  the  thought  of  God  differs  from  the 
thought  of  man  as  the  Dog-star  from  the  dog."  Just  as  a  man 
knows  himself  as  existing  in  a  limited  "  extension,"  so  God 
knows  himself  as  existing  in  all  extended  space.  This  expresses 
Spinoza's  solution  of  the  universe. 

Other  thinkers  attempting  similarly  to  wrestle  with  the  situa- 
tion have  postulated  a  universe  composed  entirely  of  "  spirit," 
in  which  all  things  material  are  but  the  effects  of  its  proper 
activity.  Thus,  we  have  the  idealism  of  Bishop  Berkeley  and 
others,  which  postulates  essential  "  spirit,"  whose  attribute  is 
"to  perceive"  (percipere)y  and  its  antithesis,  "matter,"  whose 
sole  attribute  is  "to  be  perceived"  (percipi),  and  which  ceases 
to  exist  when  out  of  thought.  The  uniformity  of  experiences 
were  explained,  of  course,  by  the  influence  of  the  divine  mind 
upon  the  human ;  thus,  apparently,  constituting  "  thought "  the 
constant  and  eternal  medium  of  creation.  From  the  general 
tendencies  embodied  in  Berkeley's  system  arose  the  "  absolute 
idealism,"  or  "  soHpsism,"  of  Fichte  and  others,  whose  logic 
argues  the  complete  identity  of  all  minds  with  the  One  Self  as 
effectively  as  the  Adwaita  philosophies  of  India.  While  these 
and  similar  conclusions  seem  to  follow  on  the  logic  of  very  many 
writers  —  and  by  "  proper  handling,"  indeed,  nearly  any  con- 
clusion may  be  reached  by  a  well-conceived  line  of  reasoning  — 
the  critic  of  the  history  of  thought  is  able  to  discern  in  the 
tendency  toward  "  idealism  "  a  series  of  intellectual  inventions 
or  contrivances  to  enable  avoidance  of  the  perfectly  evident  con- 
clusion that  to  call  spirit  "  immaterial "  involves  for  the  average 
mind  that  we  call  it  nothingness.  Nor  is  there  any  real  avenue 
of  escape  from  the  dilemma,  but  to  acknowledge,  in  the  words 
above  quoted,  that  "  all  spirit  —  i.e.  the  substance  of  which 
*  spiritual '  beings  consist  —  is  matter,  but  it  is  more  fine  and 
pure."  To  say  that  matter  exists  only  as  it  is  "  perceived,"  or 
thought,  in  the  mind  of  God  and  of  man  is  merely  a  verbal  sub- 


178  THE  REAL  MORMONISM 

terfuge,  based  upon  the  assumption  that,  because  "thought  (or 
thinking)  is  immaterial" — and,  like  electricity,  magnetism  and 
gravity,  having  no  "  consistency,"  such  as  is  found  in  stone, 
metal,  etc. —  therefore  all  that  exists  for  it  and  in  it  must  be,  in 
essence,  some  kind  of  nothingness,  known  under  another  name. 
Nor  could  we  sharply  discriminate  the  concept  of  an  "  imma- 
terial human  spirit "  from  the  karma  of  Buddhism  — **  all  that 
total  of  a  soul,  which  is  the  things  it  did,  the  thought  it  had,  the 
*  Self ' " —  a  mere  vortex,  echo,  or  numerically  conceivable 
valency,  capable  of  producing  activity  in  favorable  concrete  con- 
ditions; just  as  a  bell  of  given  tone  answers  the  vibrations  of 
another  of  the  same  tone,  thus  reproducing  and  continuing  the 
activities  of  the  first  bell. 

The  real  situation  involved  in  the  type  of  "materialism" 
under  discussion  is  to  provide  an  intelligible  answer  to  the  very 
reasonable  question  as  to  the  real  constitution  of  the  human  spirit, 
when  disembodied  at  death,  and  supposedly  residing  in  the 
"  world  of  spirits,"  also  to  justify  to  the  thinking  mind  the  as- 
sertion that  God  is  personal,  and  not  a  mere  central  "  force  or 
law,"  acting  upon  the  material  universe.  The  traditional  an- 
tithesis between  "  matter "  and  "  spirit,"  except  in  the  sense  of 
"  object "  and  "  subject,"  *'  extension  "  and  "  thought,"  is  really 
meaningless.  Nor  has  it  a  direct  bearing  on  the  religious  con- 
sciousness, as  exalting  the  idea  of  God  above  the  comprehension 
of  the  human  mind.  The  notion  of  immaterial  "  spirit "  merely 
confuses  the  devout  mind,  while  attracting  —  and,  in  a  great 
measure,  justifying  —  the  ridicule  of  the  skeptic.  The  scholastic 
teaching  about  God,  calling  Him  "  formless,  passionless  and 
immaterial " —  for  the  actual  concepts  of  no  Christian  people  cor- 
respond to  any  such  notion,  even  could  it  be  "  visualized  " —  a 
"  being  having  his  centre  nowhere  and  his  circumference  every- 
where," is  merely  a  philosophical  whimsey,  unwarranted  in 
sound  reason,  devoid  of  authority  in  Scripture,  and  of  no  reli- 
gious significance.  The  God  revealed  in  Scripture,  whatever  more 
may  be  said  of  His  being,  powers  or  attributes,  is  personal  and 
anthropomorphic,  and  thus  He  remains  for  the  religious  con- 
sciousness to  this  very  day, — "  I  hope  to  see  my  Pilot  face  to 
face,  when  I  have  crossed  the  bar" — in  spite  of  the  impudent 
"  subtleties  "  propounded  by  theological  dreamers,  which  amount, 
in  reality,  to  formal  atheism.  Such  a  conclusion  was  ably  as- 
serted by  Orson  Pratt,  in  the  following  passage : 

"There  are  two  classes  of  atheists  in  the  world.  One  class  denies 
the  existence  of  God  in  the  most  positive  language ;  the  other  denies  his 
existence  in  duration  or  space.  One  says  *  There  is  no  God ' ;  the  other 
says  *  God  is  not  here  or  there,  any  more  than  he  exists  now  and  then.' 
The  infidel  says  *God  does  not  exist  anywhere.'    The  immaterialist 


THE  THEOLOGY  OF  MORMONISM  179 

says  *  He  exists  nowhere.^  The  infidel  says  *  There  is  no  such  substance 
as  God/  The  immaterialist  says  'There  is  such  a  substance  as  God, 
but  it  is  without  parts'  The  atheist  says  *  There  is  no  such  substance  as 
spirit.'  The  immaterialist  says  *  A  spirit,  though  he  lives  and  acts,  occu- 
pies no  room,  and  fills  no  space  in  the  same  way  and  in  the  same  man- 
ner as  matter,  not  even  so  much  as  the  minutest  grain  of  sand.'  The 
atheist  does  not  hide  his  infidelity;  but  the  immaterialist,  whose  de- 
clared belief  amounts  to  the  same  thing  as  the  atheist's,  endeavors  to 
hide  his  infidelity  under  the  shallow  covering  of  a  few  words.  .  .  .  The 
immaterialist  is  a  religious  atheist;  he  only  differs  from  the  other  class 
of  atheists  by  clothing  an  indivisible,  unextended  nothing  with  the  powers 
of  a  God.  One  class  believes  in  no  God;  the  other  believes  that  Noth- 
ing is  God  and  worships  it  as  sxLoh."— Absurdities  of  Imtnaterialism, 
p.  II. 


CHAPTER  XIV 

THE  MORMON  DOCTRINE  OF  GOD 

The  "materialistic"  conception  of  God,  which  is  to  say  the 
conception  that  is  humanly  intelligible,  is  thus  explained  in  the 
words  of  Parley  P.  Pratt: 

"The  idea  of  a  God  without  *body,  parts  or  passions*  is  not  more 
absurd  or  inconsistent  than  that  modern  popular  doctrine,  that  all  things 
were  created  from  nonentity,  or,  in  other  words,  that  something  origi- 
nated from  nothing. 

"  It  is  a  self-evident  truth,  which  will  not  admit  of  argument,  that 
nothing  remains  nothing.  Nonentity  is  the  negative  of  all  existence. 
This  negative  possesses  no  property  or  element  upon  which  the  energies 
of  creative  power  can  operate. 

"To  speak  more  philosophically,  all  the  elements  are  spiritual,  all  are 
physical,  all  are  material,  tangible  realities.  Spirit  is  matter,  and  mat- 
ter is  full  of  spirit.  Because  all  things  which  do  exist  are  eternal  reali- 
ties, in  their  elementary  existence.  ...  In  the  capacity  of  mortals, 
however,  some  of  the  elements  are  tangible,  or  visible,  and  others  in- 
visible. Those  which  are  tangible  to  our  senses,  we  call  physical;  those 
which  are  more  subtle  and  refined,  we  call  spiritual." —  Key  to  Theology, 
PP'  49-51 ;  43-45. 

On  the  basis  of  this  characteristic  "  literalism,"  Mormon 
writers  and  teachers  insist  that  the  BibHcal  mentions  of  hands, 
face,  feet,  arms,  heart,  and  other  physical  parts,  in  reference  to 
God,  are  to  be  understood  literally,  although  *'  figurative "  and 
"  symbolical "  uses  of  these  words  are  often  found ;  furthermore, 
that  the  primeval  suggestion,  "  Let  us  make  man  in  our  image," 
was  no  rhetorical  figure.  Nor  is  there  any  advantage  to  be 
found  in  criticizing  and  characterizing  this  teaching,  as  some  have 
done, —  so  long,  at  least,  as  the  Bible  remains  the  recognized 
standard  of  authority  —  since  the  opposing  concept  is  entirely 
extra-Biblical.  God  is  represented  as  appearing  in  human  form 
to  Adam,  Abraham,  and  other  patriarchs.  Moses,  desiring  to 
see  His  "  glory,"  is  warned  that  he  cannot  see  His  face,  but  that, 
standing  "  in  a  clift  of  the  rock,"  God  would  cover  him  with  His 
hand,  while  He  passed  by,  allowing  him  to  see  only  His  "  back 
parts."  (Exod.  xxxiii.  18-23.)  Stephen,  the  martyr,  declared 
that  he  had  a  vision  of  the  "  Son  of  man  standing  on  the  right 

180 


THE  MORMON  DOCTRINE  OF  GOD  i8i 

hand  of  God"  (Acts  vii.  55).  Similarly,  all  other  mentions  of 
God,  by  prophets,  by  Christ  himself,  and  by  his  apostles,  make 
implicit  references  to  an  anthropomorphic  God.  These  facts 
should  be  sufficient  for  any  person  professing  to  believe  in  the 
actual  authority  of  the  Bible ;  but  too  many  of  these  people  have 
evidently  attempted  to  "  improve "  Scriptural  doctrines  and 
statements  from  the  rich  resources  of  their  own  minds.  What 
could  God  reveal  to  them? 

Much  of  the  logical  development  of  Scripture  teachings  about 
God  by  Mormon  writers  would  be  characterized,  probably,  by 
the  advocates  of  other  systems  as  "  crude  "  and  "  childish,"  but, 
in  this  matter,  as  cannot  be  too  emphatically  insisted,  no  state- 
ment whatever  can  safely  claim  exemption  from  such  charges. 
There  is  certainly  nothing  of  contrary  description  to  be  found 
in  the  wordy  speculations  of  metaphysical  theorizers,  also,  little 
or  nothing  that  can  be  credited  with  permanent  value  to  the 
world  of  living  humanity.  The  crudest  concept  that  demon- 
strates consistency  with  authority,  and  expresses  faith  in  its 
finality,  is  preferable  to  much  else  that  is  based  upon  some  man's 
intellectual  ingenuity,  rather  than  upon  consistency  with  the 
terms  used  in  Scriptures  believed  to  be  "  given  by  inspiration  of 
God."  For  example,  by  what  Scriptural  argument  could  one 
oppose  the  following  statement  given  by  Joseph  Smith? 

"  The  Father  has  a  body  of  flesh  and  bones  as  tangible  as  man's ;  the 
Son  also;  but  the  Holy  Ghost  has  not  a  body  of  flesh  and  bones,  but  is 
a  personage  of  Spirit." — Doctrine  and  Covenants,  cxxx.  22. 

This  statement  is  explained  and  defended  by  Mormon  apolo- 
gists by  an  analysis  of  Scripture  passages.     Thus,  Christ,  after 
his  resurrection,  had  a  body  of  flesh  and  bones,  which  ascended 
also  into  heaven  — "  for  a  spirit  hath  not  flesh  and  bones,  as  ye 
see  me  have"  (Luke  xxiv.  39).     So  also,  they  assert,  the  same 
must  be  said  of  God  the  Father,  since,  in  the  words  of  the 
Epistle  to  the  Hebrews,  Christ  is  called  the  "  express  image  of 
his  person  "  (Heb.  i.  3),  indicating  the  idea  that  "  his  person  "  is 
visible  and  tangible,  after  the  manner  of  a  body  of  "flesh  and 
bones."     Nor  can  it  be  said  in  criticism  of  this  teaching  that  it  is 
either  "  crude,"  "  materialistic,"  or  "  literalistic,"  because  it  is 
precisely  the  logical  development  of  the  doctrine  explicitly  stated 
by  all  the  great  confessions  of  faith.     Thus  in  the  Articles  of 
Faith  of  the  Church  of  England,  the  following  is  to  be  found : 
"The  Son,  which  is  the  Word  of  the  Father,  begotten  from  everlast- 
ing of  the  Father,  the  very  and  eternal  God,  and  of  one  substance  with 
the  Father,  took  Man's  nature  in  the  womb  of  the  Blessed  Virgin,  of 
her  substance:  so  that  two  whole  and  perfect  Natures,  that  is  to  say, 
the  Godhead  and  Manhood,  were  joined  together  in  one  Person,  never 
to  be  divided,  whereof  is  one  Christ,  very  God,  and  very  Man." — 
Article  II. 


i82  THE  REAL  MORMONISM 

"  Christ  did  truly  rise  again  from  death,  and  took  again  his  body, 
with  flesh,  bones,  and  all  things  appertaining  to  the  perfection  of 
Man's  nature;  wherewith  he  ascended  into  Heaven,  and  there  sitteth, 
until  he  return  to  judge  all  Men  at  the  last  day." — Article  IV. 

The  Westminster  Confession  expresses  the  same  teaching  in 
perfectly  similar  terms.     Thus : 

"The  Son  of  God,  the  second  person  in  the  Trinity,  being  very  and 
eternal  God,  of  one  substance,  and  equal  with  the  Father,  did,  when 
the  fullness  of  time  was  come,  take  upon  him  mane's  nature,  with  all 
the  essential  properties  and  common  infirmities  thereof,  yet  without 
sin:  being  conceived  by  the  power  of  the  Holy  Ghost,  in  the  womb  of 
the  Virgin  Mary,  of  her  substance.  So  that  two  whole,  perfect,  and 
distinct  natures,  the  Godhead  and  the  manhood,  were  inseparably 
joined  together  in  one  person,  without  conversion,  composition,  or 
confusion.  Which  person  is  very  God  and  very  man,  yet  one  Christ, 
the  only  Mediator  between  God  and  man." — Chapter  VHI,  Section  ii. 

"On  the  third  day  he  arose  from  the  dead,  with  the  same  body  in 
which  he  suffered;  with  which  also  he  ascended  into  heaven,  and 
there  sitteth  at  the  right  hand  of  his  Father,  making  intercession ;  and 
shall  return  to  judge  men  and  angels,  at  the  end  of  the  world." — 
Chapter  VHI,  Section  iv. 

Answering  the  familiar  caviling  criticism  that  the  Mormon 
conception  of  God  postulates  only  a  "  very  large  and  powerful 
man  " —  for  so  certain  writers  have  chosen  to  travesty  the  real 
statement  —  B.  H.  Roberts  speaks  as  follows: 

"  Mark  what  is  said  here  of  Jesus.  You  say  that  *  the  Godhead 
and  manhood'  in  Jesus  'were  joined  together  in  one  person,'  that  is, 
his  spirit  and  his  body  are  united,  never  to  be  severed  or  disunited. 
Now  I  put  to  you  this  question :  Is  the  Lord  Jesus  Christ  God  ?  Yes, 
you  must  answer.  Then  is  not  God  an  exalted  man  according  to 
your  creed?  .  .  .  According  to  this  statement  of  the  matter,  Jesus  has 
not  been  dissolved  into  some  spiritual,  immaterial  essence,  and  widely 
diffused  throughout  the  universe  as  some  spiritual  presence.  No;  he 
is  a  substantial,  resurrected  personage,  a  united  spirit  and  body ;  •  .  . 
*  never  to  be  divided.'  .  .  .  This,  of  course,  scarcely  meets  the  descrip- 
tion of  the  first  paragraph  of  the  creed  used  here,  where  God  is  de- 
clared to  be  not  matter,  that  is  'without  body,  parts  or  passions.*  .  .  . 
It  is  enough  that  I  call  your  attention  to  the  fact  that  the  second  part 
of  your  creed  leads  you  closely  to  the  'Mormon'  doctrine  that  God  is 
an  exalted,  perfected  man,  since  Jesus,  according  to  your  creed,  is 
God,  and  yet  a  resurrected  man  sitting  in  heaven  until  his  return  to 
judge  all  men  at  the  last  day. 

"And  now  as  to  there  being  more  Gods  than  one.  We  believe 
the  Scripture  which  says  that  Jesus  was  the  brightness  of  God's  glory, 
*and  the  express  image  of  his  person'  (Heb.  i,  3).  And  as  we  know 
what  kind  of  a  person  the  Christ  is,  who  'possessed  all  the  fullness  of 
the  Godhead  bodily';  and  who,  when  he  declared  that  all  power  in 
heaven  and  in  earth  had  been  given  unto  him,  and  he  was  in  the  act 
of  sending  his  disciples  into  all  the  world  to  teach  and  baptize  in  the 
authority  of  the  Father,  Son,  and  Holy  Spirit  —  was  a  resurrected, 
immortal  man,  of  spirit,  flesh  and  bone.  And  since,  I  say,  the  scripture 
teaches  that  the  Son  was  the  express  image  of  the  Father's  person, 
we  conclude  that  the  Father  must  be  a  personage  of  spirit,  flesh  and 
bone,  just  as  the  Son,  Jesus,  is.    Indeed  your  Athanasian  creed  says 


THE  MORMON  DOCTRINE  OF  GOD  183 

*  that  such  as  the  Father  is,  such  is  the  Son ' ;  and,  of  course,  it  follows 
that,  such  as  the  Son  is,  such  is  the  Father;  that  is,  the  Father  is  a 
personage  of  spirit,  flesh  and  bone,  united  in  one  person,  'very  God 
and  very  man,*  just  as  Jesus  is." — Answer  to  the  Ministerial  Associa- 
tion Review,  pp.  16-17. 

The  foregoing  explanations  and  parallels  seem  to  bring  us 
logically  to  the  discussion  of  some  other  points  of  Mormon 
teaching,  which,  although  very  widely  quoted,  are  very  imper- 
fectly understood  by  the  average  critic  of  the  system.  These 
points  are  involved  in  the  familiar  quotations  from  the  sermons 
of  Joseph  Smith,  which  are  evidently  intended  to  set  forth  (i) 
the  essential  and  eternal  deity  of  Christ,  and  (2)  the  proper 
divine  heritage  of  mankind.  The  equality  of  Christ  with  God 
the  Father,  and  the  various  authoritative  passages  evidently  set- 
ting forth  correspondences  in  their  respective  persons  and  char- 
acters, have  evidently  appealed  strongly  to  the  imagination  of 
the  Prophet,  who  does  not  hesitate  to  postulate  a  "human  ele- 
ment "  in  the  Supreme  Being,  as  well  as  an  essential  divine 
element  in  the  human.  It  is  difficult  sometimes  to  discern 
whether  the  Prophet  is  speaking  of  God  the  Father,  or  of  Christ, 
but,  recognizing  the  deity  of  the  latter,  such  discrimination  is 
often  not  important.  The  following  passage,  bold  in  its  state- 
ments, evidently  refers  primarily  to  Christ,  who  is  called,  there- 
fore, "  the  Great  God  who  holds  this  world  in  its  orbit " : 

"  God  himself  was  once  as  we  are  now,  and  is  an  exalted  Man,  and 
sits  enthroned  in  yonder  heavens!  That  is  the  great  secret.  If  the 
vail  was  rent  to-day,  and  the  Great  God  who  holds  this  world  in  its 
orbit,  and  who  upholds  all  worlds  and  all  things  by  his  power,  was  to 
make  himself  visible, —  I  say,  if  you  were  to  see  him  to-day,  you  would 
see  him  like  a  man  in  form  —  like  yourselves  in  all  the  person,  image, 
and  very  form  as  a  man;  for  Adam  was  created  in  the  very  fashion, 
image,  and  likeness  of  God,  and  received  instruction  from,  and  walked, 
talked,  and  conversed  with  him,  as  one  man  talks  and  communes  with 
another." — Compendium  of  the  Doctrines  of  the  Gospel,  p.  190. 

The  following  passage,  quoted  from  an  evidently  fragmentary 
discourse  by  Joseph  Smith,  presents  the  doctrine  of  God's  body 
in  another  aspect,  with  a  strong  suggestion  of  speculation  of 
higher  and  hidden  mysteries: 

"As  the  Father  hath  power  in  Himself,  so  hath  the  Son  power  in 
Himself,  to  lay  down  His  life  and  take  it  again,  so  He  has  a  body  of 
His  own.  The  Son  doeth  what  He  hath  seen  the  Father  do:  then  the 
Father  hath  some  day  laid  down  His  life  and  taken  it  again;  so  He 
has  a  body  of  His  own;  each  one  will  be  in  His  own  body;  and  yet 
the  sectarian  world  believe  the  body  of  the  Son  is  identical  with  the 
Father's." — History  of  the  Church,  Vol.  V.,  p.  426. 

Both  these  passages  suggest  an  idea,  more  definitely  ex- 
pressed by  some  other  writers,  that  the  drama  of  redemption,  as 
carried  out  in  this  world,  is  a  necessary  and  eternally  significant 


i84  THE  REAL  MORMONISM 

procedure,  which  has  been  duplicated  in  other  worlds"  and  uni- 
verses from  eternity,  and  always  involving  that  a  divine  person- 
age should  assume  the  full  nature  of  man,  should  lay  down  his 
life  and  take  it  again,  and,  thereby,  provide  a  means  by  which 
the  souls  of  all  true  believers  should  be  exalted  to  become  "  par- 
takers in  the  divine  nature"  (II  Peter  i,  4).  Thus,  in  the  same 
discourse,  Joseph  Smith  speaks  further,  as  follows: 

"The  Scriptures  say  that  there  are  Gods  many  and  Lords  many, 
but  to  us  there  is  but  one  living  and  true  God,  and  the  heaven  of 
heavens  could  not  contain  Him;  for  He  took  the  liberty  to  go  into 
other  heavens.  .  .  . 

"  Peter  and  Stephen  testify  that  they  saw  the  Son  of  Man  standing 
on  the  right  hand  of  God.  Any  person  that  had  seen  the  heavens 
opened  knows  that  there  are  three  personages  in  the  heavens  who 
hold  the  keys  of  power,  and  one  presides  over  all.  .  .  . 

"  Gods  have  an  ascendency  over  the  angels,  who  are  ministering 
servants.  In  the  resurrection,  some  are  raised  to  be  angels;  others 
are  raised  to  become  Gods." — Ibid.  pp.  426-427. 

Immediately  following  the  passage  just  quoted,  we  find  the 
statement,  ''  These  things  are  revealed  in  the  most  holy  place  in 
a  Temple  prepared  for  that  purpose."  Also,  some  four  years 
previously,  while  confined  in  Liberty  jail,  Clay  county,  Missouri, 
he  had  written  as  follows : 

"God  shall  give  unto  you  (the  saints)  knowledge  by  his  Holy  Spirit, 
yea  by  the  unspeakable  gift  of  the  Holy  Ghost,  that  has  not  been 
revealed  since  the  world  was  until  now;  which  our  forefathers  have 
waited  with  anxious  expectation  to  be  revealed  in  the  last  times, 
which  their  minds  were  pointed  to,  by  the  angels,  as  held  in  reserve 
for  the  fulness  of  their  glory:  a  time  to  come  in  which  nothing  shall 
be  withheld,  whether  there  be  one  God  or  many  Gods,  they  shall  be 
manifest;  all  thrones  and  dominions,  principalities  and  powers,  shall 
be  revealed  and  set  forth  upon  all  who  have  endured  valiantly  for 
the  gospel  of  Jesus  Christ  .  .  .  according  to  that  which  was  ordained 
in  the  midst  of  the  Council  of  the  Eternal  God  of  all  other  Gods,  be- 
fore this  world  was,  that  should  be  reserved  unto  the  finishing  and  the 
end  thereof,  when  every  man  shall  enter  into  his  eternal  presence, 
and  into  his  immortal  rest." — Doctrine  and  Covenants,  cxxi.  2(5-29,  32. 

It  is  noticeable  that,  while  emphasizing  in  all  these  passages, 
the  teachings  of  the  "  humanity  of  God "  and  the  divinity  of 
man,  the  Prophet  expressly  declares  his  belief  in  the  "  one  living 
and  true  God"  and  the  "Eternal  God  of  all  other  Gods." 
Whether  we  understand  that  the  word  "  Gods "  refers  some- 
times to  an  order  of  supernal  beings,  not  included  in  the  God- 
head nor  classed  as  angels,  or  whether  we  understand  it  as  con- 
fined to  a  designation  of  the  "  spirits  of  just  men  made  perfect," 
it  is  equally  certain  that  we  have  good  scriptural  authority  for 
the  usage.  Nor  does  the  presence  of  this  word  in  the  teachings 
of  Joseph  Smith  indicate  that  he  held  to  a  belief  in  "  polytheism," 
or  the  plurality  of  gods,  either  as  an  actuality  or  a  possibility, 


THE  MORMON  DOCTRINE  OF  GOD  185 

any  further  than  must  any  careful  student  of  the  text  of  Scrip- 
ture, who  is  determined  to  interpret  faithfully  the  expressions 
which  it  evidently  contains.  It  is  probable,  however,  that  he 
understood  this  word  to  indicate  preeminently  the  proper  dig- 
nity of  the  blessed  dead,  as  will  be  explained  in  our  discussion 
of  the  '*  Celestial  glory."  According  to  the  suggestions  involved 
in  his  utterances  on  this  point,  one  might  be  led  to  suppose  that 
the  exalted  and  glorified  saints  of  other  worlds  than  ours,  or, 
at  least,  of  ages  long  past,  already  exist  in  the  Celestial  King- 
dom among  those  whom,  in  Scriptural  phrase,  it  is  proper  to  term 
"  gods." 

In  this  connection  we  may  understand  somewhat  the  meaning 
intended  to  be  expressed  in  Lxjrenzo  Snow's  famous  couplet  on 
God  and  man,  which  has  been  widely  quoted  as  the  authoritative 
statement  of  the  Mormon  doctrine  of  the  Deity.  Elder  Snow 
thus  explains  its  origin: 

"  Early  in  the  spring  of  1840,  ...  I  was  at  the  house  of  Elder  H.  G. 
Sherwood;  he  was  endeavoring  to  explain  the  parable  of  our  Savior, 
when  speaking  of  the  husbandman  who  hired  servants  and  sent  them 
forth  at  different  hours  of  the  day  to  labor  in  his  vineyard. 

"  While  attentively  listening  to  his  explanation,  the  Spirit  of  the 
Lord  rested  mightily  upon  me — -the  eyes  of  my  understanding  were 
opened,  and  I  saw  as  clear  as  the  sun  at  noonday,  with  wonder  and 
astonishment,  the  pathway  of  God  and  man.  I  formed  the  following 
couplet  which  expresses  the  revelation,  as  it  was  shown  me,  and  ex- 
plains Father  Smith's  dark  saying  to  me  at  the  blessing  meeting  in  the 
Kirtland  Temple,  prior  to  my  baptism,  as  previously  mentioned  in  my 
first  interview  with  the  Patriarch: 

*  As  man  now  is,  God  once  was ; 
As  God  now  is,  man  may  be.' " 
—  Autobiography  and  Family  Record  of  Lorenzo  Snow  (by  Eliza  R. 
Snow),  p.  46. 

Although  Elder  Snow  esteemed  this  conception  very  highly, 
and  along  with  very  many  others  of  his  Church,  seems  to  have 
accepted  it  as  the  truth  of  the  matter  in  some  very  vital  sense,  it 
is  not,  as  is  usually  represented,  an  authoritative  utterance  of 
Mormon  teaching.  Like  the  foregoing  quotation  from  Joseph 
Smith's  discourse,  it  evidently  sets  forth  the  idea  of  the  neces- 
sary incarnation  of  God  and  the  consequent  exaltation  of  man, 
and  may  be  held  to  refer  primarily  to  Christ.  The  participation 
of  exalted  humanity  in  the  divine  nature  is  thus  set  forth  by 
Smith  in  the  same  discourse  as  previously  quoted: 

"The  teachers  of  the  day  say  that  the  Father  is  God,  the  Son  is 
God,  and  the  Holy  Ghost  is  God,  and  they  are  all  in  one  body  and  one 
God.  Jesus  prayed  that  those  that  the  Father  had  given  him  out  of 
the  world  might  be  made  one  in  them,  as  they  were  one;  (one  in 
spirit,  in  mind,  in  purpose)." — History  of  the  Church,  Vol.  V.,  p.  426. 

The  bridge  across  the  gulf  separating  the  human  and  divine, 


i86  THE  REAL  MORMONISM 

the  finite  and  the  infinite,  is  found  in  the  functions  and  activities 
of  the  Holy  Spirit,  and  this,  also,  with  stricter  scriptural  con- 
sistency than  is  observed  in  some  other  systems  of  theology. 
Thus,  while  in  most  traditional  systems  the  Holy  Spirit  is  repre- 
sented as  a  definite  and  personal  entity,  and  a  proper  object  of 
worship,  along  with  the  Father  and  the  Son,  with  whom  He  is 
mystically  identified,  the  teachings  of  Joseph  Smith  rather  em- 
phasize His  activities  in  the  work  of  redemption;  in  a  very  real 
sense  seemingly  making  Him  appear  preeminently  as  the  medium 
and  evidence  of  God's  creative  and  redemptive  activities.  All 
this  is  perfectly  scriptural,  since,  in  whatever  actual  or  mystical 
manner  we  may  conceive  that  the  Holy  Spirit  is  properly  per- 
sonal, it  is  evident  that  His  significance  to  the  life  of  mankind 
is  rather  that  of  an  emanation  of  God's  power,  life  and  activity. 
Thus,  while  called  in  the  Greek  original  by  a  term  properly 
translatable  as  the  "  Holy  Breath,"  which  is  to  say,  perhaps,  the 
Divine  Life  or  Presence,  He  is  represented  as  "  promised," 
"  sent,"  "  given,"  ''  received,"  "  quenched,"  "  dwelling  in " 
human  lives,  "  filling "  the  souls  of  men ;  also,  "  proceeding," 
etc.,  but  always  and  primarily  as  an  active  presence,  only  once 
(at  the  baptism  of  Christ)  represented  as  visible.  It  is  thus 
possible  to  hold  that,  although,  perhaps,  possessing  a  proper 
personal  life  in  Himself,  the  Holy  Spirit  is  preeminently  the 
community  of  "  spirit,  mind,  purpose,"  etc.,  between  the  Father 
and  the  Son,  to  be  shared  also  by  exalted  and  believing  human- 
ity. We  may  thus  understand  why  the  sin  of  "  blasphemy 
against  the  Holy  Spirit "  is  the  supreme  offense  against  God, 
being  the  act  of  rejecting  Him,  vitally  and  evidently  present,  as 
a  factor  in  the  life  of  the  individual  man,  not  merely  as  a  dis- 
tant and  unknown  Creator  and  Governor  of  the  universe.  This 
immediate  and  immanent  presence  and  activity  of  the  Divine 
Life,  which  is  called  the  Holy  Spirit,  also,  as  set  forth  in  Scrip- 
ture, determines  the  individual  man  as  a  partaker  in  the  divine 
nature,  because  the  unity  with  God's  life  which  its  activity  be- 
gets is  of  the  same  character  and  description  as  the  unity  among 
the  Persons  of  the  Godhead.  (John  xvii.  21.)  The  description 
of  the  Divine  Nature  given  by  Joseph  Smith,  and  his  immediate 
disciples  is,  if  nothing  more,  according  to  the  claims  of  his  fol- 
lowers, certainly  a  careful  and  faithful  rendering  of  apparent 
Scriptural  meanings. 

The  following  passage  from  the  Lectures  on  Faith,  regularly 
included  in  the  same  volume  with  the  Doctrine  and  Covenants, 
sets  forth  a  view  of  the  function  and  significance  of  the  Holy 
Spirit  very  closely  in  accord  with  that  just  discussed.  Thus, 
with  apparent  contradiction,  the  writer  states  in  the  first  sen- 


THE  MORMON  DOCTRINE  OF  GOD  187 

tence  that  "  two  personages  "  only  "  constitute "  the  Godhead, 
but,  developing  the  theme,  he  indicates  that  the  unity  of  these 
two  personages  consists  in  the  common  possession  of  the  "  same 
mind,"  and  that  this  mind  is  the  Holy  Spirit.  He  then  proceeds 
to  state  that  "  these  three  "  constitute  the  Godhead.  The  recon- 
ciliation lies  in  the  fact  that,  in  the  first  instance  he  is  speaking 
of  the  functions  and  significance  of  the  Spirit,  in  which  He  does 
not  appear  as  primarily  of  personal  significance,  and  that,  in  the 
second  instance,  he  recognizes  that  this  mystical  element  of  the 
Godhead  is  really  and  properly  personal.     Thus: 

"There  are  two  personages  who  constitute  the  great,  matchless, 
governing,  and  supreme  power  over  all  things,  by  whom  all  things 
were  created  and  made,  that  are  created  and  made,  whether  visible  or 
invisible,  whether  in  heaven,  on  earth,  or  in  the  earth,  under  the 
earth,  or  throughout  the  immensity  of  space.  They  are  the  Father 
and  the  Son  —  the  Father  being  a  personage  of  spirit,  glory,  and 
power,  possessing  all  perfection  and  fullness,  the  Son,  who  was  in  the 
bosom  of  the  Father,  a  personage  of  tabernacle,  made  or  fashioned 
like  unto  man,  or  being  in  the  form  and  likeness  of  man,^  or  rather 
man  was  formed  after  his  likeness  and  in  his  image;  he  is  also  the 
express  image  and  likeness  of  the  personage  of  the  Father,  possessing 
all  the  fullness  of  the  Father,  or  the  same  fullness  with  the  Father; 
being  begotten  of  him,  and  ordained  from  before  the  foundation  of 
the  world  to  be  a  propitiation  for  the  sins  of  all  those  who  should  be- 
lieve on  his  name,  and  is  called  the  Son  because  of  the  flesh.  .  .  .  And 
he  being  the  Only  Begotten  of  the  Father,  full  of  grace  and  truth, 
and  having  overcome,  received  a  fullness  of  the  glory  of  the  Father, 
possessing  the  same  mind  with  the  Father,  which  mind  is  the  Holy 
Spirit,  that  bears  record  of  the  Father  and  the  Son,  and  these  three 
are  one;  or,  in  other  words,  these  three  constitute  the  great,  matchless, 
governing  and  supreme,  power  over  all  things;  by  whom  all  things 
were  created  and  made  that  were  created  and  made,  and  these  three 
constitute  the  Godhead,  and  are  one;  the  Father  and  the  Son  pos- 
sessing the^  same  mind,  the  same  wisdom,  glory,  power,  and  fullness  — 
filling  all  in  all;  the  Son  being  filled  with  the  fullness  of  the  mind, 
glory,  and  power;  or,  in  other  words,  the  spirit,  glory,  and 
power,  of  the  Father,  possessing  all  knowledge  and  glory,  and 
the  same  kingdom,  sitting  at  the  right  hand  of  power,  in  the  ex- 
press image  and  likeness  of  the  Father,  mediator  for  man,  being  filled 
with  the  fullness  of  the  mind  of  the  Father;  or,  in  other  words,  the 
Spirit  of  the  Father,  which  Spirit  is  shed  forth  upon  all  who  believe 
on  his  name  and  keep  his  commandments;  and  all  those  who  keep  his 
commandments  shall  grow  up  from  grace  to  grace,  and  become  heirs 
of  the  heavenly  kingdom,  and  joint  heirs  with  Jesus  Christ;  pos- 
sessing the  same  mind,  being  transformed  into  the  same  image  or  like- 
ness, even  the  express  image  of  him  who  fills  all  in  all;  being  filled 
with  the  fullness  of  his  glory,  and  become  one  in  him,  even  as  the 
Father,  Son  and  Holy  Spirit  are  one." — Lectures  on  Faith,  V.  {Doc- 
trine and  Covenants,  pp.  54-55). 

As  may  be  seen  in  this  quotation,  the  doctrine  of  the  Godhead, 
as  presented  in  Mormon  theology,  differs  in  little  from  the  gen- 
eral lines  of  belief  held  to  be  orthodox,  except  in  the  fact  that 


!i88  THE  REAL  MORMONISM 

it  carefully  avoids  the  evident  contradiction  involved  in  the  as- 
sumption of  a  God  "  without  body,  parts  or  passions,"  in  imme- 
diate coordination  with  the  teaching  that  one  "  person  "  of  the 
Godhead  possesses  a  "  body,  with  flesh,  bones,  and  all  things 
appertaining  to  the  perfection  of  man's  nature,  wherewith  he 
ascended  into  heaven,"  and  whose  Godhead  and  manhood  are 
"never  to  be  divided."  Instead  of  the  utterly  baffling,  and 
really  meaningless,  formulation  of  the  doctrine  of  the  Trinity,  as 
found,  for  example,  in  the  Athanasian  Creed,  we  find  here  an 
intelligible  effort  to  make  the  essential  truths  of  that  doctrine 
clear  to  the  human  mind  —  and  this  should  be  the  function  of  a 
real  revelation  —  by  postulating  an  identity  of  mind  and  spirit, 
and  the  common  possession  of  the  "  same  fullness,"  as  between 
two  personages,  who  are  not  to  be  "  confounded."  It  may  be 
said,  also,  that  it  demonstrates  some  sort  of  approach  to  a  higher 
authority  in  the  matter  in  the  fact  that  it  attempts,  evidently,  to 
further  clarify  the  situation  by  asserting  that  the  same  commu- 
nity of  spirit,  life,  and  mind,  is  to  be  possessed  by  true  "  believ- 
ers "  in  common  with  the  persons  of  the  Godhead,  as  constitutes 
the  unity  of  the  Godhead;  and  this  is  the  Scriptural  position  in 
the  matter.  The  Biblical  authorities  for  the  doctrine  are  to  be 
found  particularly  in  John  xvii.  20-21,  Rom.  viii.  29,  I  Cor.  xv. 
49,  II  Cor.  iii.  18,  etc.  It  seems  preferable,  indeed,  to  appeal 
to  the  statements  of  Scripture,  the  sole  authorities  we  have  in 
this  matter,  rather  than  to  the  speculations  of  the  best-equipped 
metaphysicians  of  ancient  or  modem  times.  It  is  safe  to  say 
that  we  have  in  this  statement  all  that  is  humanly  intelligible  in 
the  accepted  doctrine  of  the  Trinity,  since,  however  much  it  may 
be  condemned  for  failure  to  accord  with  traditional  standards  of 
doctrine,  it  is  in  complete  accord  with  Scripture  in  regarding  the 
Father  as  the  One  God  par  excellence,  and  postulating  Christ's 
participation  in  the  Godhead  in  Biblical  terms. 

It  may  be  admissible  to  assert,  therefore,  that  the  doctrine  of 
the  Godhead  found  in  the  theology  of  the  Mormon  Church  is, 
purely  and  simply,  the  doctrine  to  be  derived  from  Scripture 
teachings,  when  unmingled  with  philosophical  speculations.  As 
the  advocates  of  this  Church  would  doubtless  claim,  it  is  the 
revealed  doctrine,  untouched  by  human  ingenuity.  On  this  point 
B.  H.  Roberts  writes: 

"  Against  the  dogma  that  God  was  an  incorporeal,  immaterial,  passion- 
less being,  the  Prophet  [Joseph  Smith]  announced  the  splendid  doctrine 
of  anthropomorphism  —  God  in  the  human  form,  and  possessed  of 
human  qualities,  but  sanctified  and  perfected.  In  the  first  great 
revelation  which  opened  this  last  dispensation  our  Prophet  beheld 
Father  and  Son  as  separate  persons,  distinct  from  each  other;  persons 
in  the  form  of  men,  but  more  glorious  and  more  splendid,  of  couxsej 


THE  MORMON  DOCTRINE  OF  GOD  189 

than  words  could  describe  them  to  be.  All  through  the  revelation  re- 
ceived, and  all  through  his  discourses,  the  Prophet  reaffirms  the  old 
doctrine  of  the  Scriptures,  the  doctrine  of  all  tlje  prophets,  asserting 
that  man  indeed  was  created  in  the  image  of  God,  and  that  God  pos- 
sessed human  qualities,  consciousness,  will,  love,  mercy,  justice;  to- 
gether with  power  and  glory  —  in  a  word,  a  Man  'exalted  and  per- 
fected.'"—  Joseph  Smith,  the  Prophet-Teacher,  pp.  22-23. 
In  another  work,  Roberts  commenting  on  the  statement  that 
man  was  created  "  in  the  image  of  God,"  writes  as  follows : 

"Now,  if  that  were  untouched  by  'philosophy,'  I  think  it  would  not 
be  difficult  to  understand.  Man  was  created  in  the  image  and  like- 
ness of  God.  What  idea  does  this  language  convey  to  the  mind  of 
man,  except  that  man,  when  his  creation  was  completed,  stood  forth 
the  counterpart  of  God  in  form?  But  our  philosophers  have  not  been 
willing  to  let  it  stand  so.  .  .  .  They  tell  us  that  this  plain,  simple, 
straightforward  language  of  Moses,  which  says  that  man  was  created 
in  the  image  of  God  —  and  which  everybody  can  understand  —  means, 
not  the  '  full-length '  image  of  God,  but  God's  *  moral  image ' !  Man 
was  created  in  the  'moral  image'  of  God,  they  say. 

"  The  meaning  of  this  language  from  the  26th.  and  27th.  verse  of  the 
first  chapter  of  Genesis,  where  it  is  written,  is  made  perfectly  clear 
when  compared  with  the  third  verse  of  the  fifth  chapter  of  Genesis, 
where  it  is  written;  'And  Adam  lived  an  hundred  and  thirty  years, 
and  begat  a  son  in  his  own  likeness,  after  his  image;  and  called  his 
name  Seth.'  What  do  these  words  imply,  but  that  Seth  was  like  his 
father  in  features,  and  also,  doubtless,  in  intellect  and  moral  qualities? 
And  if,  when  it  is  said  Adam  begat  a  son  in  his  *  own  likeness,  after  his 
image,'  it  simply  means  that  Seth,  in  form  and  features,  and  in- 
tellectual and  moral  qualities,  was  like  his  father  —  then  there  can  be 
no  other  conclusion  formed  upon  the  passage  that  says  God  created 
man  in  his  own  image  and  likeness,  than  that  man,  in  a  general  way, 
in  form  and  feature,  and  intellectual  and  moral  qualities,  was  like 
God."—  The  Doctrine  of  Deity,  pp.  176-177, 


CHAPTER  XV 

THE  DOCTRINES  OF  MAN,  OF  THE  FALL,  AND  OF  THE  CHARACTER 

OF  EVIL 

The  doctrine  that  God  made  man  "in  His  own  image"  is 
confined  neither  to  his  physical  body,  nor  yet  to  his  origin  in  the 
Garden  of  Eden.  Just  as  the  proper  destiny  of  the  human  race 
is  to  attain  to  union  with  the  divine  nature,  so,  with  equal  pro- 
priety, essential  divinity  is  believed  to  have  been  its  origin.  Man 
partakes  of  God*s  image  and  likeness  also  in  possessing  the 
proper  attributes  of  God;  intelligence  —  which  is  the  "glory  of 
God"  (D.  and  C,  Sec.  xciii.  36) — and  eternity,  both  past  and 
future.  This  teaching  involves,  of  course,  that  the  spirit  of 
man  is  self-existent,  uncreated  (although  "begotten,"  being  less 
than  God),  and  that  it  had  an  actual  and,  in  a  very  real  sense, 
a  conscious  preexistence.  This  doctrine  is  an  essential  part  of 
the  teachings  of  Mormon  scriptures,  especially  the  Book  of 
Abraham  and  the  Doctrine  and  Covenants.  In  the  latter  book 
the  following  passages  occur: 

"And  now,  verily  I  say  unto  you,  I  (Jesus  Christ)  was  in  the  be- 
ginning with  the  Father,  and  am  the  first-born.  ...  Ye  were  also  in 
the  beginning  with  the  Father;  that  which  is  spirit,  even  the  Spirit  of 
truth.  .  .  .  Man  was  also  in  the  beginning  with  God.  Intelligence. 
or  the  light  of  truth,  was  not  created  or  made,  neither  indeed  can  be.' 
— 'Section  xciii,  21,  23,  29. 

The  same  idea  is  still  further  developed  in  the  following  ex- 
tract from  an  address  delivered  by  Joseph  Smith  in  July,  1839: 
"The  spirit  of  man  is  not  a  created  being;  it  existed  from  eternity, 
and  will  exist  to  eternity.  Anything  created  cannot  be  eternal;  and 
earth,  water,  etc.,  had  their  existence  in  an  elementary  state,  from 
eternity.  Our  Savior  speaks  of  children  and  says.  Their  angels  al- 
ways stand  before  my  Father.  The  Father  called  all  spirits  before 
Him  at  the  creation  of  man,  and  organized  them.  He  (Adam,  as  men- 
tioned in  the  preceding  paragraph)  is  the  head,  and  was  told  to  multi- 
ply. The  keys  were  first  given  to  him,  and  by  him  to  .others.  He 
will  have  to  give  an  account  of  his  stewardship,  and  they  to  him." — 
History  of  the  Church,  Vol.  HI.  p.  387. 

Of  the  condition  of  the  spirits  of  mankind  previous  to  their 
incarnation,  and  of  the  significance  of  the  doctrine  of  preexist- 

190 


THE  FALL  OF  MAN  AND  SIN  191 

ence  to  the  body  of  the  theological  system  of  this  Church,  the 
following  is  an  excellent  explanation: 

"  From  the  little  knowledge  we  have  on  this  subject  (need  of  an 
earthly  probation)  we  reach  the  following  conclusions:  That  at  the 
time  of  the  creation  of  the  earth,  all  who  were  to  become  its  inhabi- 
tants were  living  in  the  spirit  with  God.  There  we  communed  with 
Him,  partook  of  His  kindness  and  mercy,  received  His  counsel  and 
instruction,  and  enjoyed,  as  fully  as  we  were  capable  of  enjoying,  His 
glory.  But  happy  and  free  from  care  and  temptation  though  we 
doubtless  were,  safe  from  the  snares,  and  dangers,  and  toils,  and 
pains,  and  sins  that  beset  us  now,  we  were  not  perfectly  contented. 
This  because  we  were  well  aware  that  we  had  attained  to  the  highest 
possible  point  of  excellence  —  the  greatest  degree  of  advancement  of 
which  we  were  capable  in  the  spiritual  state.  True,  we  were  in  heaven, 
sons  and  daughters  of  God,  enjoying,  no  doubt,  His  fatherly  care  and 
protection;  but  we  knew  that  that  was  not  the  highest  and  greatest 
destiny  the  Father  had  in  mind  for  us.  He  desired  that  we  should 
be  fathers  and  mothers,  as  well  as  sons  and  daughters;  rulers,  as  well 
as  subjects;  Gods,  as  well  as  children  of  God.  This  great,  expand- 
ing, exalted  destiny  was  closed  to  us,  as  long  as  we  remained  in  the 
spiritual  condition, 

"We  fully  knew  that  we  must,  first,  obtain  bodies;  second,  endure 
the  tests  of  a  temporary  separation  from  our  Father;  third,  form  the 
relationships  of  husband  and  wife,  parent  and  child,  etc.;  fourth,  prove 
ourselves  worthy  in  these  relationships,  in  the  midst  of  sorrow,  sin, 
and    suffering.    Without    these    varied    experiences,    away    from    our 
heavenly  home,  and  forgetful  of  our  spiritual  life  with  God.  we  knew 
that  this  higher  exaltation  would  be  impossible."— /4«o».,  '  Principles 
of  the  Gospel"  Part  I.,  pp.  33-34.     (F.  M.  M.  I.  A.  Manual  1901-02.) 
As  explained  in  the  foregoing  passage,  the  doctrine  of  an 
"  earthy  probation  "  for  the  spirits  —  or  "  souls  " —  of  mankind 
involves  that  the  experiences  of  life  on  earth  are  in  some  manner 
necessary  for  their  "  perfecting."    Why  this  is  true  has  always 
been  a  very  real  problem  to  earnest  thinkers,  quite  as  insistent, 
in  fact,  as  the  similar  query  as  to  why  a  good  God  has  allowed 
evil.     Whatever  may  be  said  in  way  of  criticism  or  "  confuta- 
tion," however,  no  one  can  deny  that  the  explanation  here  given 
is  both  intelligible  and  plausible.     The  following  passages  con- 
tain the  official  explanation  of  the  doctrine. 

"Man  is  spirit.  The  elements  are  eternal,  and  spirit  and  element, 
inseparably  connected,  receiveth  a  fullness  of  joy;  and  when  separated, 
man  cannot  receive  a  fullness  of  joy." — D.  &  C,  xciii.  33-34- 

"The  spirit  and  the  body  is  the  soul  of  man.  And  the  resurrection 
from  the  dead  is  the  redemption  of  the  soul." — Ibid.  Ixxxviii.  15-16. 

Separated  from  its  particular  methods  of  expression,  the  sense 
of  these  passages  may  be  held  to  be  that  the  spirit  of  man  cannot 
by  any  means  attain  to  its  proper  perfection  until  incarnated. 
But  this  is  no  new  teaching:  it  is  merely  a  restatement  of  a  be- 
lief that  has  been  common  to  humanity  from  remote  ages:  that 
the  spirit  and  the  body  shall,  at  the  resurrection,  be  reunited,  and 
shall  continue  in  association  to  eternity.    This  is  the  Christian 


192  THE  REAL  MORMONISM 

doctrine  of  the  resurrection,  as  well  as  the  Egyptian.  Mormon- 
ism  merely  expresses  what  other  teachings  have  always  implied, 
that  this  eternal  union  of  the  spirit  and  the  body  is  a  necessary 
and  essential  condition  of  blessedness,  rather  than  one  merely 
accidental  (so  far,  at  least,  as  we  can  derive  an  intelligible  ex- 
planation). It  also  enables  us  to  understand,  on  these  terms, 
why  it  is  that  God,  embracing  in  Himself  the  sum  of  all  perfec- 
tions, should  logically  be  regarded  as  possessed  of  a  proper  body. 

The  doctrine  of  preexistence  coupled  with  this  teaching,  how- 
ever, is  of  importance  in  yet  another  phase  of  the  situation. 
Briefly  expressed,  it  is  capable  of  explaining  in  humanly  intel- 
ligible form  the  numerous  passages  of  Scripture  which  have 
been  held  to  teach  the  doctrine  of  foreordination.  Indeed,  with 
the  acceptance  of  these  passages  as  literal,  not  merely  "  figura- 
tive," expressions,  we  are  able,  with  a  belief  in  eternal  preexist- 
ence, to  justify  the  "  justice  of  God  "  to  our  own  minds,  without 
abrogating  the  freedom  of  the  individual  will,  which  has  been  a 
great  problem  among  theologians  for  many  centuries.  Coupled 
with  the  Mormon  doctrine  of  the  "  fall "  of  Adam  and  the  opera- 
tion of  the  atonement  of  Christ,  it  avoids  the  further  troublesome 
dilemma  of  a  foreknowing  and  foreordaining  God,  who  is  not 
also  the  actual  author  of  sin  and  evil. 

The  corollary  of  this  teaching  is  that  the  spirits  of  mankind, 
gathered,  as  it  were,  in  a  "  great  council,"  acquiesced  perfectly 
in  all  the  conditions  of  earth  life;  accepting  at  that  time  the 
parts  they  were  to  play  in  the  drama  of  time,  in  accordance  with 
the  purposes  of  God  in  inaugurating  the  plan.  Forthwith,  Adam 
was  chosen  by  divine  decree  to  become  the  progenitor  and  "  patri- 
arch "  of  the  human  race ;  being  then  appointed  to  play  his  part, 
which,  by  the  terms  of  this  system,  also  made  possible  the  pro- 
creation of  the  human  species.  Thus,  we  may  glean  the  outlines 
of  an  idea  of  the  significance  of  the  "  fall "  of  man  to  the  divine 
economy  of  the  universe.  The  ''  fall "  was  foreseen  of  God  as 
a  part  of  the  plan  of  "  redemption  " —  which  also  becomes  a 
necessary,  not  merely  an  "  accidental,"  manifestation  of  divine 
power  —  and  was  participated  by  Adam,  by  free  choice,  and  in 
obedience  to  the  decrees  of  the  "great  council"  of  spirits,  al- 
though in  a  very  real  sense  a  "  transgression,"  as  indicating,  in 
effect,  the  assertion  of  the  will  of  a  finite  intelligence,  in  opposi- 
tion to  the  expressed  commands  of  the  Supreme  Intelligence. 
Thus,  whether  "  foreknown,"  and,  in  a  sense,  "  sanctioned  "  by 
God,  or  not,  it  is  evident  that  this  act  of  Adam's  involved  a  very 
real  "  new  order,"  in  which,  contrary  to  what  should  be,  the 
human  spirit  no  longer  depends  upon  the  divine  will  and  law  for 
its  guidance,  but  rather  upon  itself.    But,  as  all  systems  of 


THE  FALL  OF  MAN  AND  SIN  193 

theology  argue  in  some  way,  God  used  the  sin  of  Adam  as  the 
starting  point  of  the  work  of  redemption.  Here,  however,  His 
foreknowledge  is  not  associated  with  alleged  "  divine  decrees " 
by  which,  as  the  Westminster  Confession  asserts,  "  some  men 
and  angels  are  .  .  .  foreordained  to  everlasting  death,"  but,  sur- 
prisingly enough,  a  means,  literally,  of  a  higher  and  completer 
blessing,  as  will  be  explained  presently. 

Most  of  the  passages  of  Scripture  supposed  to  teach  the  doc- 
trine of  foreordination  may  with  equal  propriety  be  held  to  in- 
volve the  idea  of  preexistence  also,  and  by  no  very  wide  departure 
from  established  canons  of  interpretation.     Thus,  we  read: 

"Before  I  formed  thee  in  the  belly  I  knew  thee;  and  before  thou 
earnest  forth  out  of  the  womb  I  sanctified  thee,  and  I  ordained  thee  a 
prophet  unto  the  nations." — Jer.  i,  5. 

"For  whom  he  did  foreknow,  he  also  did  predestinate  to  be  con- 
formed to  the  image  of  his  Son,  that  he  might  be  the  firstborn  among 
many  brethren.  Moreover  whom  he  did  predestinate,  them  he  also 
called:  and  whom  he  called,  them  he  also  justified:  and  whom  he 
justified,  them  he  also  glorified." — Rom.  viii,  29-30. 

In  this  connection  it  is  needless  to  argue,  on  philosophical 
grounds,  that,  for  God,  who  "  inhabits  eternity,'*  foreknowing  is 
knowing,  and  that  what  He  foresees  already  exists  for  Him. 
On  this  view,  however,  the  fact  that,  as  stated  in  Acts  xv.  18, 
"  known  unto  God  are  all  his  works  from  the  beginning  of  the 
world,"  involves  for  the  philosopher  that  they  preexisted  in  a 
preeminently  real  sense,  as  existing  for  the  mind  and  contempla- 
tion of  the  Almighty:  that  which  exists  in  time  for  finite  minds 
exists  in  eternity  for  God.  If,  then,  in  the  words  of  Christ 
(Mark  xii.  2y),  "  He  is  not  the  God  of  the  dead,  but  the  God  of 
the  living,"  involving  that  Abraham,  Isaac,  and  Jacob  still  live, 
even  though  dead,  it  is  no  immense  stretching  of  the  sense  of  this 
passage  to  hold  that  those  whom  He  "  foreknew,  predestinated, 
called,  justified  and  glorified,"  may  with  propriety  be  covered  by 
the  same  statement,  even  though,  at  the  period  mentioned,  as  yet 
unborn  into  the  world  of  time. 

As  exhibiting  the  method  by  which  individual  freedom  of  choice 
is  represented  as  combining  with  the  decisions  of  God,  in  estab- 
lishing the  things  to  be  accomplished  in  earth  life,  the  following 
from  one  of  the  leading  scriptures  of  the  Mormon  Church,  may 
be  quoted  as  illustration: 

"That  Satan,  whom  thou  hast  commanded  in  the  name  of  mine 
Only  Begotten,  is  the  same  which  was  from  the  beginning,  and  he 
came  before  me,  saying  —  Behold,  here  am  I,  send  me,  I  will  be  thy 
son,  and  I  will  redeem  all  mankind,  that  one  soul  shall  not  be  lost,  and 
surely  I  will  do  it;  wherefore  give  me  thine  honor.  But,  behold,  my 
Beloved  Son,  which  was  my  Beloved  and  Chosen  from  the  beginning, 
said  unto  me  —  Father,  thy  will  be  done,  and  the  glory  be  thine  for- 
ever.   Wherefore,  because  that  Satan  rebelled  against  me,  and  sought 


194  THE  REAL  MORMONISM 

to  destroy  the  agency  of  man,  which  I,  the  Lord  God,  had  given  him, 
and  also,  that  I  should  give  unto  him  mine  own  power;  by  the  power 
of  mine  Only  Begotten,  I  caused  that  he  should  be  cast  down;  and 
he  became  Satan,  yea,  even  the  devil,  the  father  of  all  lies,  to  de- 
ceive and  to  blind  men,  and  to  lead  them  captive  at  his  will,  even  as 
many  as  would  not  hearken  unto  my  voice." — Moses  iv.  1-4. 

As  may  be  understood,  this  passage  refers  primarily  to  the 
"  origin  of  evil "  by  postulating  a  ''  war  in  heaven,"  or  the  "  re- 
bellion "  of  a  great  archangel,  known  as  Lucifer,  the  Son  of  the 
morning.  As  embodied  in  various  oriental  literatures,  and  in- 
troduced at  a  comparatively  late  period  into  the  Bible  —  al- 
though this  fact  is  no  argument  against  its  antiquity  —  the 
account  has  varied  in  differing  degrees  from  the  postulation  of 
an  eternal  "  dualism "  [as  between  Ahura-Mazda,  the  good 
Creator,  and  Angro-Manyu,  the  evil  creator,  in  the  system  of 
Zoroaster]  to  a  vague  and  general  belief  in  the  existence  of  an 
evil  influence  in  the  spiritual  world,  potent  over  mankind,  but 
inferior  to,  and  permitted  to  exist  by,  God,  for  some  "  mysterious 
reasons."  The  explanation  offered  by  Joseph  Smith,  curiously 
enough,  contains  the  suggestion  of  a  wonderfully  clear  solution 
of  this  problem.  We  learn  here  that  all  spirits,  being  eternal 
and  uncreated,  are  in  a  very  real  sense  **  divine."  We  learn,  also, 
that  there  are  grades  and  degrees  of  dignity  in  the  eternal  world, 
as  found  in  certain  beings  called  archangels,  seraphim,  etc.,  who, 
as  in  the  case  of  Gabriel,  "  stand  in  the  presence  of  God  "  (Luke 
i.  19).  We  learn  also  that  the  freedom  of  the  will  consists  in  the 
really  ultimate  and  uncaused  character  of  all  spirit  life.  With 
these  postulates,  we  may  understand  much  more  readily  how 
that  Satan,  or  Lucifer,  was  a  prototype  in  the  eternal  world  of 
Korah  and  his  company  (Num.  xvi.  3),  who,  with  his  followers, 
"  gathered  themselves  together  against  [God]  and  against  [the 
Eternal  Son],  and  said,  Ye  take  too  much  upon  you,  seeing  all 
the  congregation  are  holy,  every  one  of  them."  Of  course,  the 
failure  of  this  eternal  spirit  to  recognize  the  infinite  exaltation  of 
God  the  Father  above  him  —  because  accustomed  to  "  stand  in 
his  presence  " —  is  of  the  same  description  of  "  blindness  "  as 
that  in  which  the  traducers  of  the  Eternal  Son  brought  about  his 
crucifixion.  This  sin  explains  why  it  was  that  Satan  fell  "  as 
lightning  from  heaven"  (Luke  x.  18),  also  why  it  was  that 
Judas,  the  betrayer,  "went  and  hanged  himself"  (Matt,  xxvii. 

A  very  similar  solution  of  the  vexed  problem  of  **  free  will," 
placing  the  scene  of  its  operation  in  a  preexistent  state  of  some 
order,  is  presented  by  several  philosophers.  Thus  Prof.  Josiah 
Royce,  although  basing  his  argument  on  a  quite  different  concept 
of  the  universe,  concludes  as  follows : 


THE  FALL  OF  MAN  AND  SIN  195 

"The  limits  of  a  relatively  untechnical  discussion  permit  .  .  .  only 
this  dim  suggestion  of  one  of  the  deepest  insights  of  modern  philos- 
ophy. If  it  is  right,  your  acts  are  at  once  from  the  temporal  point 
of  view  absolutely  bound,  and  from  the  eternal  point  of  view  abso- 
lutely free.  For  you  enter  into  the  divine  order  of  two  ways.  In 
this  world  you  are  a  fact  in  time,  ...  a  creature  with  just  this  brain, 
doomed  for  countless  ages  to  precisely  this  conduct.  But  the  whole 
temporal  order  is  for  the  absolute  Self,  of  whom  you  are  a  part,  only 
one  way  of  looking  at  truth.  All  eternity  is  before  him  at  a  glance. 
He  has  chosen  not  temporally,  but  in  an  act  above  all  time,  yet  an  act 
in  which  you  yourself  share,  to  conceive  this  world  which  contains 
you.  He  has  chosen  this  world  for  the  sake  of  its  worth.  And  in  the 
estimate  that  eternally  chooses,  your  will,  your  time-transcending  per- 
sonality, your  consciousness  has  its  part  also.  You  are  not  morally 
free  to  change  laws  in  this  world.  But  you  are  moral  and  free  be- 
cause you  are  in  the  eternal  sense  a  part  of  the  eternal  World-Creator, 
who  never  made  the  world  at  any  moment  of  time,  but  whose  choice 
of  this  describable  world  of  time  in  its  wholeness  is  what  constitutes 
the  world  of  appreciation,  which  is  the  world  of  truth." — Spirit  of 
Modern  Philosophy,  pp.  433-434. 

The  theologian  and  the  philosopher,  despite  the  wide  diver- 
gence of  their  terminologies,  are  arguing  to  the  same  conclusions, 
and  very  momentous  they  are.  We  may  see  that  both  grapple 
with  the  problem  of  a  transcendental  and  eternal  essence  — 
term  it  soul,  spirit,  or  otherwise  —  involved  in  the  limitations  of 
time  and  causation.  Having  found  them  thus  associated,  the 
problem  of  unraveling  the  limitation  easily  appears  as  very  real 
and  consistent.  It  is  not  impossible,  therefore,  to  conceive  how 
that  the  eternal  soul  of  man,  associated  with  worldly  limitations 
by  the  operation  of  natural  generation,  whereby,  in  some  unex- 
plained fashion,  he  inherits  and  transmits  to  his  offspring  the 
habit  of  subservience  to  these  limitations,  should  require  the 
operation  of  another  order  of  "  generation  "  to  regain  his  prime- 
val spiritual  harmony  with  God,  with  a  transcendence  of  all  that 
is  involved  in  sin  and  death.  This,  as  we  shall  see,  is  the  very 
situation  to  be  unraveled  in  the  grand  doctrine  of  salvation. 

The  following  extract  from  a  discourse  by  Joseph  Smith,  de- 
livered in  1843,  continues  the  line  of  explanation  already  under- 
taken: 

"  Salvation  is  nothing  more  nor  less  than  to  triumph  over  all  our 
enemies  and  put  them  under  our  feet.  And  when  we  have  power 
to  put  all  enemies  under  our  feet  in  this  world,  and  a  knowledge  to 
triumph  over  all  evil  spirits  in  the  world  to  come,  then  we  are  saved, 
as  is  the  case  of  Jesus,  who  was  to  reign  until  He  had  put  all  enemies 
under  His  feet,  and  the  last  enemy  was  death. 

"  Perhaps  there  are  principles  here  that  few  men  have  thought  of. 
No  person  can  have  this  salvation  except  through  a  tabernacle. 

"  Now,  in  this  world,  mankind  are  naturally  selfish,  ambitious  and 
striving  to  excel  one  above  another;  yet  some  are  willing  to  build  up 
others  as  well  as  themselves.  So  in  the  other  world  there  are  a 
variety  of  spirits.    Some  seek  to  excel.    And  this  was  the  case  with 


196  THE  REAL  MORMONISM 

Lucifer  when  he  fell.  He  sought  for  things  which  were  unlawful. 
Hence  he  was  sent  down,  and  it  is  said  he  drew  many  away  with  him; 
and  the  greatness  of  his  punishment  is  that  he  shall  not  have  a  taber- 
nacle. This  is  his  punishment.  So  the  devil,  thinking  to  thwart  the 
decree  of  God,  by  going  up  and  down  in  the  earth,  seeking  whom  he 
may  destroy  —  any  person  that  he  can  find  that  will  yield  to  him,  he 
will  bind  him,  and  take  possession  of  the  body  and  reign  there,  glory- 
ing in  it  mightily,  not  caring  that  he  had  got  merely  a  stolen  body; 
and  by-and-by  some  one  having  authority  will  come  along  and  cast 
him  out  and  restore  the  tabernacle  to  its  rightful  owner.  The  devil 
steals  a  tabernacle  because  he  has  not  one  of  his  own;  but  if  he  steals 
one,  he  is  always  liable  to  be  turned  out  of  doors." — History  of  the 
Church,  Vol.  V,  pp.  387-388. 

It  is  perhaps  unnecessary  to  call  the  reader's  attention  to  the 
fact  that  herein  we  have  merely  an  explanation,  in  the  words  of 
Joseph  Smith,  for  the  cases  of  "  demoniacal  possession,"  so 
familiar  in  Scripture,  and  so  often  discussed  by  Christ  Himself. 
In  one  case,  as  will  be  remembered,  the  ''  demons  "  cast  out  of 
a  maniac,  were  allowed  to  possess  the  bodies  of  a  herd  of  swine, 
as  the  best  available  substitute  for  a  human  "  tabernacle." 

As  regards  the  significance  of  the  "  fall "  of  man,  it  is  suf- 
ficient to  say  that  we  find  it  represented  here,  as  in  other  formu- 
lations of  theology,  as  a  predestined  and  necessary  event;  with 
the  notable  exception  that,  in  foreordaining  it,  God  had  in  mind 
only  the  larger  blessings  of  the  race.  Just  as  the  sins  and  evils, 
incident  on  the  flesh,  appear  to  be  in  a  very  real  sense  the  in- 
evitable accompaniments  of  life  in  this  world,  and  as  salvation 
is  "  nothing  more  nor  less  than  to  Triumph  over  all  our  (spirit- 
ual) enemies,"  and,  because  of  this  fact,  "  it  is  impossible  for  a 
man  to  be  saved  in  ignorance"  {D.  and  C.  cxxxi.  6),  so  the 
transition  of  the  human  spirit  into  an  environment  in  which  this 
order  of  knowledge  is  necessary  and  obtainable,  is  really  the  first 
step  in  the  way  of  a  "  higher  progression."  Thus  may  we  under- 
stand the  meaning  of  the  Book  of  Mormon  principle,  "  Adam 
fell  that  men  might  be ;  and  men  are,  that  they  might  have  joy." 
(II  Nephi  ii.  25.)  The  explanation  of  this  principle  is  given,  as 
follows : 

"  It  has  become  a  common  practice  with  mankind  to  heap  re- 
proaches upon  the  progenitors  of  the  family,  and  to  picture  the  sup- 
posedly blessed  state  in  which  we  would  be  living  but  for  the  Fall; 
whereas  our  first  parents  are  entitled  to  our  deepest  gratitude  for 
their  legacy  to  posterity, —  the  means  of  winning  glory,  exaltation,  and 
eternal  lives,  on  the  battlefield  of  mortality.  But  for  the  opportunity 
thus  given,  the  spirits  of  God's  offspring  would  have  remained  forever 
in  a  state  of  innocent  childhood;  sinless  through  no  effort  of  their 
own;  negatively  saved,  not  from  sin,  but  from  the  opportunity  of 
meeting  sin;  incapable  of  winning  the  honors  of  victory  because  pre- 
vented from  taking  part  in  the  battle.  As  it  is,  they  are  heirs  to  the 
birthright  of  Adam's  descendants, —  mortality,  with  its  immeasurable 
possibilities  and  its  God-given  freedom  of  action.    From  Father  Adam 


THE  FALL  OF  MAN  AND  SIN  197 

we  have  inherited  all  the  ills  to  which  flesh  is  heir ;  but  such  are  neces- 
sarily incident  to  the  knowledge  of  good  and  evil,  by  the  proper  use 
of  which  knowledge  man  may  become  even  as  the  Gods." — James  E. 
Talmage  {The  Articles  of  Faith,  p.  73), 

Roberts  develops  the  same  idea  as  follows : 

"To  bring  to  pass  these  conditions  essential  to  man's  earth-expe- 
riences^ on  which  is  to  be  builded  future  progress,  the  *  fall '  must  be ; 
which  IS  only  another  way  of  saying  that  the  transition  from  heaven  con- 
ditions to  earth  must  be  made.  In  no  way  else  could  this  earth  depart- 
ment of  God's  great  university  for  Intelligences  be  established.  May  it 
not,  however,  from  some  points  of  view  be  regarded  as  a  misnomer,  this 
'  fall '  ?  certainly  it  is  but  an  incident  in  the  process  of  rising  to  greater 
heights.  It  is  but  the  crouch  for  the  spring ;  the  steps  backward  in  order 
to  gain  momentum  for  the  rush  forward ;  a  descending  below  all  things 
only  that  there  might  be  a  rising  above  all  things.  Such  the  benefits  to 
arise  from  the  fall;  at  least  to  some,  and  doubtless  to  the  benefit  ul- 
timately, of  most  of  the  Intelligences  that  participate  in  earth-life,  though 
there  will  be  real  losses  in  the  adventure.  The  fall  is  to  eventuate  in  the 
advantage  of  God's  children,  then,  in  the  main." —  The  Seventy's  Course 
in  Theology,  Fourth  Year,  pp.  38-39. 

The  teachings  developed  in  these  passages  are  stated  in  the 
Book  of  Mormon,  as  follows : 

"  If  Adam  had  not  transgressed,  he  would  not  have  fallen ;  but  he 
would  have  remained  in  the  Garden  of  Eden.  And  all  things  which 
were  created,  must  have  remained  in  the  same  state  which  they  were, 
after  they  were  created ;  and  they  must  have  remained  for  ever,  and  had 
no  end  .  .  .  wherefore  they  would  have  remained  in  a  state  of  inno- 
cence, .  .  .  doing  no  good,  for  they  knew  no  sin.  But  behold,  all  things 
have  been  done  in  the  wisdom  of  him  who  knoweth  all  things." — II 
Nephi  ii.  22-24. 

The  view  of  the  "  fall  "of  man,  as  set  forth  in  these  passages 
involves  in  a  very  logical  sense  that,  in  this  matter  at  least,  Adam 
was  the  delegate  of  God  in  the  consummation  of  an  important 
part  of  the  grand  scheme  of  salvation,  by  taking  the  first  step 
essential  to  the  incarnation,  hence,  also,  to  the  ultimate  "  exulta- 
tion "  of  the  spirits  of  mankind.  Therefore,  although  recog- 
nizing the  sad  consequences  of  the  "fall"  in  many  particulars, 
in  the  origination  of  sin  and  evil  in  the  world,  and  emphasizing 
the  involved  necessity  of  redemption,  the  person  of  Adam  has 
been  accorded  an  exalted  place  in  the  world  of  mankind.  Ac- 
cording to  the  authoritative  literature  of  the  Mormon  Church, 
Adam  is  identified  with  the  Archangel  Michael,  also  with  the 
Ancient  of  Days  mentioned  in  the  seventh  chapter  of  Daniel. 
Joseph  Smith  writes  thus  about  him : 

"The  Priesthood  was  first  given  to  Adam;  he  obtained  the  First 
Presidency,  and  held  the  keys  of  it  from  generation  to  generation.  He 
obtained  it  in  the  Creation,  before  the  world  was  formed,  as  in  Gen.  i. 
26,  27,  28.  He  had  dominion  given  him  over  every  living  creature.  He 
is  Michael  the  Archangel,  spoken  of  in  the  Scriptures.  .  .  .  The  Priest- 
hood is  an  everlasting  principle,  and  existed  with  Qod  from  eternity,  ancj 


198  THE  REAL  MORMONISM 

will  to  eternity,  without  beginning  of  days  or  end  of  years.  The  keys 
have  to  be  brought  from  heaven  whenever  the  Gospel  is  sent.  When 
they  are  revealed  from  heaven  it  is  by  Adam's  authority. 

"Daniel  in  his  seventh  chapter  speaks  of  the  Ancient  of  Days;  he 
means  the  oldest  man,  our  Father  Adam,  Michael,  he  will  call  his  chil- 
dren together  and  hold  a  council  with  them  to  prepare  them  for  the  com- 
ing of  the  Son  of  Man.    He  (Adam)  is  the  father  of  the  human  family, 
and  presides  over  the  spirits  of  all  men,  and  all  that  have  had  the  keys 
must  stand  before  him  in  this  grand  council.    This  may  take  place  be- 
fore some  of  us  leave  this  stage  of  action.    The  Son  of  Man  stands 
before  him,  and  there  is  given  him  glory  and  dominion.    Adam  delivers 
up  his  stewardship  to  Christ,  that  which  was  delivered  to  him  as  holding 
the  keys  of  the  universe,  but  retains  his  standing  as  head  of  the  human 
family."—  History  of  the  Church,  Vol.  III.  pp.  385-387. 
As  developed  in  other  connections,  it  is  recorded  that  Adam, 
as  the  first  holder  of  the   Priesthood  among  mankind,   is  ap- 
pointed the  "  patriarch  "  of  the  human  race  under  the  direction 
of  God,  precisely,  as  is  held,  he  played  so  important  a  part  in  the 
origination  of  the  world  in  which  the  spirits  of  mankind  should 
have  opportunity  to  attain  to  their  proper  exaltation.     On  his 
installation  in  Eden,  he  was  given  two  commands  —  to  "  increase 
and  multiply,"  and  to  forbear  eating  of  the  Tree  of  Knowledge. 
Nor  is  Mormon  theology  the  first  connection  in  which  we  find 
the  doctrine  that  these  two  commands  were,  in  a  very  real  sense, 
alternatives  of  action,  impossible  of  performance  by  the  same 
individual.     Neither  is  it  the  first  connection  in  which  we  en- 
counter the  situation  that  God  must  have  given  the  prohibition 
against  eating  of  the  Tree  of  Knowledge  with  full  understanding 
that  He  would  not  be  obeyed.     It  is  not  unreasonable  to  insist 
that  the  command  was  given  as  the  condition  of  maintaining  his 
state  of  primeval  innocence,  in  which  the  performance  of  the 
other  command  would  have  been  impossible,  supposedly.     How- 
ever, it  is  needless  to  reason  upon  alternative  explanations.     The 
text  of  Scripture  asserts  boldly  that  by  eating  of  the  Tree,  thus 
disobeying  God,  man  became  "  as  gods  knowing  good  and  evil " 
which  may  be  held  to  be  the  first  step  toward  the  very  perfection 
postulated  as  the  ultimate  proper  destiny  of  mankind  in  this 
system  of  theological  teaching.     The  interpretation  here  given 
has  the  advantage  over  all  others  whatever  in  the  fact  that  it 
gives  humanly  intelligible  explanations  of  the  counsel  and  pre- 
destination of  God,  which  is  to  say  explanations  that  do  not  im- 
pugn His  love.  His  mercy,  and  His  justice,  in  the  mind  and 
conscience  of  any  rational  man. 

In  the  further  consideration  of  the  exalted  position  ascribed 
to  Adam  in  Mormon  theology,  we  cannot  but  take  notice  of  the 
bold  comparisons  made  between  him  and  Christ.  The  Saviour 
is  called  the  "  Second  Adam  "  (I  Cor.  xv,  22,  45,  47) ;  Adam  is 


THE  FALL  OF  MAN  AND  SIN  199 

called  "the  figure  of  him  that  was  to  come"  (Rom.  v.  14). 
Thus  the  "  federal  headship  "  of  Adam,  if  we  may  use  a  term 
recognized  in  theological  systematizations  long  previous  to  the 
rise  of  the  Latter-day  Gospel,  and  supposed  to  explain  the  fact 
that  all  mankind  are  justly  involved  in  the  guilt  of  Adam's  trans- 
gression, even  before  their  birth,  attains  a  new  emphasis,  and 
rather  a  better  one,  since  in  this  case  Adam  is  represented  as 
God's  agent  in  the  work  of  redemption,  as  well  as  in  achieving 
the  '*  fall "  of  man,  already  foreknown  by  God.  Indeed,  the 
justification  for  the  view  that  Adam  is  the  actual  '*  Prince  "  and 
"  Patriarch  "  of  the  human  race,  as  well  as  its  "  federal  Head," 
as  a  means  merely  of  proving  all  mankind  guilty  of  his  sin,  as 
set  forth  by  others,  is  presented  in  Joseph  Smith's  explanation 
of  the  obscure  passages  in  Daniel  vii,  describing  the  throned 
personage,  known  as  the  "  Ancient  of  Days."  This  passage  is 
interesting  in  this  connection,  since,  although  there  is  no  clear 
clue  to  the  identity  of  this  personage  in  the  text,  it  has  usually 
been  held  that  God  Himself  is  referred  to.  However,  the  inter- 
pretation making  him  Adam,  or  some  other  vicegerent,  may  be 
held  to  be  justified  in  part  by  the  reference  to  "  one  like  the  Son 
of  Man,"  who  came  to  him.     Thus : 

"  I  saw  in  the  night  visions,  and,  behold,  one  like  the  Son  of  man 
came  with  the  clouds  of  heaven,  and  came  to  the  ancient  of  days,  and 
they  brought  him  near  before  him.  And  there  was  given  him  dominion, 
and  glory,  and  a  kingdom,  that  all  people,  nations,  and  languages,  should 
serve  him:  his  dominion  is  an  everlasting  dominion,  which  shall  not 
pass  away,  and  his  kingdom  that  which  shall  not  be  destroyed.  .  .  .  and 
judgment  was  given  to  the  saints  of  the  Most  High ;  and  the  time  came 
that  the  saints  possessed  the  kingdom.  .  .  .  And  the  kingdom  and  do- 
minion .  .  .  shall  be  given  to  the  people  of  the  saints  of  the  Most  High, 
whose  kingdom  is  an  everlasting  kingdom,  and  all  dominions  shall  serve 
and  obey  him." — Dan.  vii.  13,  14,  22,  27. 

It  seems  evident  that  the  "  dominion  and  glory  "  are  given  up 
to  the  Son  of  man  by  the  Ancient  of  days,  which,  instead  of  a 
delegation  of  power  from  God,  becomes  —  and  with  equal  pro- 
priety, according  to  the  text  —  a  yielding  of  authority  to  a 
Higher  Power  by  one  who  had  held  it  as  vicegerent.  It  is  evi- 
dent that,  in  this  view,  the  passages  in  Daniel  vii.  bear  some  sort 
of  analogy  in  idea  to  that  contained  in  I  Cor.  xv.  24-28;  the 
two  being,  in  fact,  consecutive.  In  the  second  it  is  said  Christ 
himself  "  delivered  up  the  kingdom  to  God,  even  the  Father." 

The  belief  that  some  such  "  vicegerency  was  actually  awarded 
to  Adam  by  divine  decree  is  set  forth  in  the  following  passage: 
"Three  years  previous  to  the  death  of  Adam,  he  called  Seth,  Enos, 
Cainan,  Mahaleel,  Jared,  Enoch,  and  Methuselah,  who  were  all  High 
Priests,  with  the  residue  of  his  posterity  who  were  righteous,  into  the 
valley  of  Adam-ondi-Ahman,  and  there  bestowed  upon  them  his  last 


200  THE  REAL  MORMONISM 

"blessing.  And  the  Lord  appeared  unto  them,  and  they  rose  up  and 
blessed  Adam,  and  called  him  Michael,  the  Prince,  the  Archangel.  And 
the  Lord  administered  comfort  unto  Adam,  and  said  unto  him,  I  have 
set  thee  to  be  at  the  head  —  a  multitude  of  nations  shall  come  of  thee, 
and  thou  art  a  prince  over  them  for  ever.  And  Adam  stood  up  in  the 
midst  of  the  congregation,  and  notwithstanding  he  was  bowed  down  with 
age,  being  full  of  the  Holy  Ghost,  predicted  whatsoever  should  befall 
his  posterity  unto  the  latest  generation.  These  things  are  all  written 
in  the  book  of  Enoch,  and  are  to  be  testified  of  in  due  time." — Doctrine 
and  Covenants,  cvii.  53-57. 

The  peculiar  regard  for  Adam  manifested  in  Mormon  theol- 
ogy* coupled  with  the  terms  in  which  he  has  been  mentioned  by 
some  of  their  authorities,  has  given  rise  to  the  popular  idea  that 
Adam  is  really  identified  with  God.  Thus,  as  frequently  urged 
by  hostile  critics,  President  Young  once  said  that  Adam  is  "  our 
father  and  our  God,"  also,  "  the  only  God  with  whom  we  have 
to  do."  Whether  or  not  Young  actually  intended  to  convey  the 
ideas  that  his  words  suggest,  or  merely  did  not  realize  the  pos- 
sible connotation  of  his  words,  it  is  altogether  certain  that  the 
Mormon  Church  holds  to  no  doctrine  by  which  Adam  is  repre- 
sented as  anyone  other  than  a  being  eternally  inferior  to  God 
the  Father.  Undoubtedly  this  alleged  doctrine  of  Mormonism, 
which  mean  minds  have  ruthlessly  advertised,  without  any  in- 
vestigation whatever,  is,  like  other  ^*  obnoxious  doctrines," 
ascribed  to  this  system,  more  properly  a  matter  of  words  than 
of  ideas.  As  we  shall  see  later,  this  identical  situation  is  in- 
volved in  the  use  of  the  word  "  gods  "  in  this  theology ;  thus 
giving  the  wanton  enemies  of  this  Church  the  opportunity  to 
accuse  it  of  teaching  polytheism,  which  is  very  far  from  the 
truth  of  the  matter,  as  must  be  acknowledged  in  the  simple  cause 
of  justice,  truth-telling,  and  intelligence.  It  is  an  excellent  thing 
to  investigate  sufficiently  to  discover  what  a  man  really  says,  or  a 
system  really  teaches,  before  proceeding  to  condemn  it  for 
"  harmful  errors."  The  allegation  in  regard  to  the  alleged 
"  Adam-God  doctrine  "  is  thus  discussed  in  a  letter,  under  date 
Feb.  20,  1912,  addressed  by  the  First  Presidency  of  the  Church 
to  one  of  its  missionaries,  who,  as  it  seems,  had  been  reproached 
with  this  doctrine  by  opponents : 

"You  speak  of  the  'assertion  made  by  Brigham  Young  that  Jesus 
was  begotten  of  the  Father  in  the  flesh  by  our  father  Adam,  and  that 
Adam  is  the  father  of  Jesus  Christ  and  not  the  Holy  Ghost,'  and  you 
say  that  Elders  are  challenged  by  certain  critics  to  prove  this. 

"  If  you  will  carefully  examine  the  sermon  to  which  you  refer,  in  the 
Journal  of  Discourses,  Vol.  I.,  you  will  discover  that,  while  President 
Young  denied  that  Jesus  was  *  begotten  by  the  Holy  Ghost/  he  did  not 
affirm,  in  so  many  words,  that  *  Adam  is  the  father  of  Jesus  Christ  in 
the  flesh.*  He  said,  *  Jesus,  our  elder  brother,  was  begotten  in  the  flesh 
by  the  same  character  that  was  in  the  Garden  of  Eden  and  who  is  our 
Father  in  Heaven.'    Who  is  our  'Father  in  Heaven'?    Here  is  what 


THE  FALL  OF  MAN  AND  SIN  201 

President  Young  said  about  him :  *  Our  Father  in  Heaven  begat  all  the 
spirits  that  ever  were  or  ever  will  be  upon  this  earth,  and  they  were 
born  spirits  in  the  eternal  world.  Then  the  LxDrd  by  his  power  and  wis- 
dom organized  the  mortal  tabernacle  of  man.'  Was  He  in  the  Garden 
of  Eden?  Surely  He  gave  commandments  to  Adam  and  Eve;  He 
was  their  Father  in  Heaven;  they  worshipped  Him,  and  taught  their 
children  after  the  fall  to  worship  and  obey  Him,  in  the  name  of  the 
Son  who  was  to  come. 

"  But  President  Young  went  on  to  show  that  our  father  Adam, —  that 
is,  our  earthly  father, —  the  progenitor  of  the  race  of  men,  stands  at  our 
head,  being  *  Michael  the  Archangel,  the  Ancient  of  Days,*  and  that  he 
was  not  fashioned  from  earth  like  an  adobe,  but  begotten  by  his  Father 
in  Heaven.  Adam  is  called  in  the  Bible  'the  Son  of  God*  (Luke  iii. 
38).  It  was  our  Father  in  Heaven  who  begat  the  spirit  of  him  who  was 
'the  Firstborn*  of  all  the  spirits  that  come  to  this  earth,  and  who  was 
also  his  Father  by  the  Virgin  Mary,  making  him  the  '  Only  Begotten  in 
the  flesh.*  Read  Luke  i.  26-35.  Where  is  Jesus  called  the  'Only  Be- 
gotten of  the  Holy  Ghost '  ?  He  is  always  singled  out  as  the  '  Only  Be- 
gotten of  the  Father.*  .  .  .  The  Holy  Ghost  came  upon  Mary,  and  her 
conception  was  under  that  influence,  even  of  the  spirit  of  life;  our 
Father  in  Heaven  was  the  Father  of  the  Son  of  Mary,  to  whom  the 
Savior  prayed,  as  did  our  earthly  father  Adam. 

"  When  President  Young  asked,  '  Who  is  the  Father '  ?  he  was  speak- 
ing of  Adam  as  the  father  of  our  earthly  bodies,  who  is  at  our  head,  as 
revealed  in  Doctrine  and  Covenants,  Section  cvii,  verses  53-56.  In  that 
sense  he  is  one  of  the  gods  referred  to  in  numerous  scriptures,  and  par- 
ticularly by  Christ  (John  x,  34-36).  He  is  the  great  Patriarch,  the  An- 
cient of  Days,  who  will  stand  in  his  place  as  '  a  Prince  over  us  forever,' 
and  with  whom  we  shall  'have  to  do,'  as  each  family  will  have  to  do 
with  its  head,  according  to  the  holy  patriarchal  order.  Our  father 
Adam,  perfected  and  glorified  as  a  god,  will  be  the  being  who  will  carry 
out  the  behests  of  the  great  Elohim  in  relation  to  his  posterity  (Daniel 
vii.  9-14). 

"  While,  as  Paul  puts  it, '  there  be  gods  many  and  lords  many  (whether 
in  heaven  or  in  earth),  unto  us  there  is  but  one  God  the  Father,  of  whom 
are  all  things,  and  one  Lord  Jesus  Christ  by  whom  are  all  things.*  The 
Church  of  Jesus  Christ  of  Latter-day  Saints  worships  Him,  and  Him 
alone,  who  is  the  Father  of  Jesus  Christ,  whom  He  worshipped,  whom 
Adam  worshipped,  and  who  is  (jod  the  Eternal  Father  of  us  all." 

Although,  as  must  be  admitted  in  all  honesty,  this  statement  is 
a  perfectly  candid  and  straightforward  presentation  of  the  Mor- 
mon position  on  this  much  discussed  issue,  it  is,  nevertheless, 
difficult  to  make  the  matter  entirely  clear  to  a  non-Mormon  mind. 
It  must  be  said,  therefore,  that  the  position  of  Adam,  even  as 
stated  in  Brigham  Young's  much-discussed  remark,  is  merely  a 
corollary,  and  a  very  logical  one,  of  the  exalted  idea  of  the 
sacredness  of  organization  held  among  the  Mormons,  rather  than 
of  any  tendency  to  deify  a  man.  It  is  their  belief  that  the  or- 
ganization of  their  diurch  is  merely  a  duplicate  of  the  organiza- 
tion of  the  universe  of  spirits.  Thus,  in  discussing  the  doctrine 
of  the  Godhead,  it  is  not  uncommon  to  hear  mention  of  the 
**  Great  Presidency  in  Heaven,"  which,  like  the  Presidency  of 


202  THE  REAL  MORMONISM 

the  Church  on  earth,  is  composed  of  Three  Personages.    The 
"  federal  headship  "  of  Adam,  therefore,  involves  that  he  is  a 
factor  in  a  great  organization,  which  is  composed  of   all  the 
spirits  of  mankind,  who  exist  on  earth,  or  who  have  already  ex- 
isted.    In  this  capacity,  he  discharges  his  functions  as  the  first 
and  foremost  holder  of  the  Priesthood  on  earth.     Since,  also, 
"  when  the  keys  of  Gospel  ordinances  are  revealed  from  heaven, 
it  is  by  Adam's  authority,"  there  is  an  involved  suggestion  that 
the  holders  of  priestly  authority  are,  in  a  sense,  personally  under 
his  direction.     B.  H.  Roberts  explains  the  matter  as  follows: 
"  The  Scriptures  represent  in  many  places  the  existence  of  a  plurality 
of  divine  personages,  how  many  we  do  not  know,  and  it  does  not  matter. 
But  we  hear  of  God  saying,  *  Let  us  make  man  in  our  image ' ;  *  the  man 
has  become  as  one  of  us,  knowing  good  and  evil ' ;  *  God  standeth  in  the 
congregation  of  the  Mighty,  he  judgeth  among  the  Gods'  .  .  .  *I  have 
said  Ye  are  Gods,  and  all  of  you  are  children  of  the  most  High.'    The 
last  a  passage  of  the  Psalms,  quoted  and  defended  by  the  Savior  as  a 
justification  of  his  own  claim  to  sonship  with  God.    And  now,  if  the 
great  archangel,  Michael,  or  Adam,  is  among  that  number  of  exalted, 
divine  souls,  what  more  fitting  than  that  the  father  of  the  human  race 
shall  become  the  great  presiding  patriarch  of  our  earth  and  its  redeemed 
inhabitants;  and  the  one  with  whom  our  race  would  most  immediately 
have  to  do?    What  sacrilege  is  there  in  this  thought?     Is  it  not  reason- 
able that  it  should   be  so?" — Answer  to   the  Ministerial  Association 
Review,  p.  17. 

In  accord  with  the  "  patriarchal "  concept  of  the  government 
of  the  universe,  the  "  fall "  of  man,  as  already  seen,  was  an  in- 
tegral part  of  the  divine  plan  for  man's  exaltation.  Thus,  the 
view  that  it  was  a  distinct  benefit  reaches  its  height  in  the  fol- 
lowing passage  from  the  Pearl  of  Great  Price: 

"And  in  that  day  Adam  blessed  God  and  was  filled,  and  began  to 
prophesy  concerning  all  the  families  of  the  earth,  saying:  Blessed  be 
the  name  of  God,  for  because  of  my  transgression  my  eyes  are  opened, 
and  in  this  life  I  shall  have  joy,  and  again  in  the  flesh  I  shall  see  God. 
"And  Eve,  his  wife,  heard  all  these  things  and  was  glad,  saying: 
Were  it  not  for  our  transgressions  we  never  should  have  had  seed, 
and  never  should  have  known  good  and  evil,  and  the  joy  of  our  redemp- 
tion, and  the  eternal  life  which  God  giveth  unto  all  the  obedient." — 
Moses  v.  lo-ii. 

The  expressions  so  far  given  very  closely  suggest  that  this 
accepted  teaching  on  the  "  fall "  is  quite  in  harmony  with  the 
findings  of  current  optimism  in  theology  and  life.  This  is  not 
wholly  true,  however,  since  the  fact  of  Adam's  sin  and  the  need 
of  an  atonement  are  in  no  sense  lost  to  sight. 

Continuing  the  discussion  of  the  atonement  given  in  a  former 
quotation,  Roberts  proceeds  as  follows: 

"  But  Adam  did  sin.  He  did  break  the  law,  which  is  sin,  and  viola- 
tion of  law  involves  the  violator  in  its  penalties,  as  surely  as  effect  fol- 
lows cause.  Upon  this  principle  depends  the  dignity  and  majesty  of  law. 
Take  this   fact  away   from  moral  government  and  your  moral   laws 


THE  FALL  OF  MAN  AND  SIN  203 

become  mere  nullities.  Therefore,  notwithstanding  Adam  fell  that  men 
might  be,  and  that  in  his  transgression  there  was  at  bottom  a  really 
exalted  motive  —  a  motive  that  contemplated  nothing  less  than  bringing 
to  pass  the  highly  necessary  purposes  of  God  with  respect  to  man's 
existence  in  the  earth  —  yet  his  transgression  of  law  was  real ;  he  did 
brave  the  conditions  that  would  be  brought  into  existence  by  his  sin; 
it  was  followed  by  certain  moral  effects  in  the  nature  of  men  and  in  the 
world.  The  harmony  of  things  was  broken;  discord  ruled;  changed 
relations  between  God  and  men  took  place ;  moral  and  intellectual  dark- 
ness, sin  and  death  —  death,  the  wages  of  sin  —  stalked  through  the 
world,  and  made  necessary  the  Atonement  for  man,  and  his  redemption." 
— "The  Atonement,"  {The  Seventy's  Course  in  Theology,  p.  39). 

"  Not  only  must  the  sin  of  Adam  be  atoned,  but  satisfaction  must  be 
made  for  the  sins  of  every  man,  if  the  integrity  of  the  moral  government 
of  the  world  is  to  be  preserved. 

"Man  is  just  as  helpless  with  reference  to  his  own,  individual  sins, 
as  Adam  was  with  reference  to  his  sin.  Man  when  he  sins  by  breaking 
the  laws  of  God,  sins  of  course  against  divine  law;  commits  a  crime 
against  the  majesty  of  God,  and  thereby  dishonors  him.  And  man  is 
just  as  helpless  to  make  adequate  satisfaction  to  God,  I  repeat,  as  Adam 
was  for  his  sin  in  Eden;  and  is  just  as  hopelessly  in  the  grasp  of  inex- 
orable law  as  Adam  and  his  race  were  after  the  first  transgression.  For 
individual  man  from  the  beginning  was  as  much  in  duty  bound  to  keep 
the  law  of  God  as  Adam  was;  and  if  now,  in  the  present  and  for  the 
future  he  observes  the  law  of  God  and  remains  righteous,  he  is  doing 
no  more  than  he  ought  to  have  done  from  the  beginning ;  and  doing  his 
duty  now  and  for  the  future  can  not  free  him  from  the  consequences  of 
his  past  violations  of  God's  law.  The  individual  man,  then,  is  just  as 
much  in  need  of  a  satisfaction  being  made  to  the  justice  of  God  for  his 
individual  transgression  of  divine  law,  for  his  violence  to  the  honor  of 
God,  for  his  insult  to  the  majesty  of  God,  as  was  Adam  for  his  sin." — 
Ihid.  pp.  98-99. 

In  the  reading  of  these  passages  the  informed  reader  must 
recognize  their  consistency  with  commonly-received  opinions  on 
the  subject  of  Christ's  atonement,  although  with  the  obvious 
difference  that  the  Mormon  Articles  of  Faith  distinctly  aver  the 
belief  "  that  men  will  be  punished  for  their  own  sins,  and  not 
for  Adam's  transgression."     (Article  2.) 


CHAPTER  XVI 

THE  DOCTRINES   OF  ATONEMENT,   RELIGIOUS  DUTY,  AND  PERSONAL 

RIGHTEOUSNESS 

The  doctrine  of  the  atonement,  as  explained  by  Mormon 
preachers  and  writers,  is  eminently  reasonable  and  beautiful. 
Its  operation  also  is  set  forth  in  no  uncertain  terms.  Thus,  in 
the  words  of  Brigham  Young: 

"There  never  was,  and  never  will  be,  a  world  created  and  redeemed 
except  by  the  shedding  of  the  blood  of  the  Saviour  of  that  world.  I 
know  why  the  blood  of  Jesus  was  shed.  ...  It  is  all  to  answer  a  pur- 
pose. Adam  subjected  himself  to  the  conditions  of  this  world,  as  did 
our  Lord  and  Master,  that  redemption  and  exaltation  might  come  to 
man.  Without  descending  below  all  things,  we  cannot  rise  above  all 
things.  The  gospel  of  salvation  will  never  change.  It  is  the  same  in  all 
ages  of  the  world  and  will  be  through  all  the  ages  of  eternity." — "  Wil- 
ford  Woodruff"  {Cowley)  pp.  447-448. 

The  operation  of  Christ's  atoning  power  is  thus  explained  by 
Roberts : 

"  To  bring  to  pass  the  redemption  of  man  from  the  Fall  —  the  effect 
of  which  was  to  subject  the  race  to  the  power  of  death  and  the  bond  of 
sin  —  a  Redeemer  was  provided  in  the  person  of  Jesus  Christ,  the  sec- 
ond personage  of  the  God-head;  who,  being  possessed  of  the  power 
of  the  resurrection  in  his  own  person,  broke  the  bands  of  death  and 
released  man  from  the  power  thereof,  by  bringing  to  pass  the  resurrec- 
tion from  the  dead,  a  reality  in  which  all  men  born  into  the  world  will 
ultimately  participate.  Jesus  Christ  also  released  men  from  the  bondage 
of  their  own  sins  on  condition  of  their  acceptance  of  the  principles  of 
His  Gospel,  and  obedience  to  the  laws  and  ordinances  thereof." — 
Mormonism,  its  Origin  and  History,  pp.  36-37. 

President  John  Taylor  gives  the  following: 

"  In  some  mysterious,  incomprehensible  way,  Jesus  assumed  the  respon- 
sibility which  naturally  would  have  devolved  upon  Adam ;  but  which 
could  only  be  accomplished  through  the  mediation  of  Himself,  and  by 
taking  upon  Himself  their  sorrows,  assuming  their  responsibilities,  and 
bearing  their  transgressions  or  sins.  In  a  manner  to  us  incompre- 
hensible and  inexplicable.  He  bore  the  weight  of  the  sins  of  the  whole 
world;  not  only  of  Adam,  but  of  his  posterity;  and  in  doing  that,  opened 
the  Kingdom  of  Heaven,  not  only  to  all  believers  and  all  who  obeyed 
the  law  of  God,  but  to  more  than  one  half  of  the  human  family  who 
die  before  they  come  to  years  of  maturity,  as  well  as  to  the  heathen, 
who,  having  died  without  law,  will,  through  His  mediation,  be  resurrected 

204 


THE  ATONEMENT  AND  DUTY  205 

without  law,  and  be  judged  without  law,  and  thus  participate,  according 
to  their  capacity,  works,  and  worth,  in  the  blessings  of  his  atonement." 
— "Mediation  and  Atonement,"  pp.  148-149. 

The  following  explanation  occurs  in  the  writings  of  the  Prophet 
Joseph  Smith: 

"The  Son  .  .  .  ordained  from  before  the  foundation  of  the  world  to 
be  a  propitiation  for  the  sins  of  all  those  who  should  believe  on  his 
name  .  .  .  descended  in  suffering  below  that  which  man  can  suffer;  or, 
in  other  words,  suffered  greater  sufferings,  and  was  exposed  to  more 
powerful  contradictions  than  any  man  can  be.  But,  notwithstanding  all 
this,  he  kept  the  law  of  God,  and  remained  without  sin,  showing  thereby 
that  it  is  in  the  power  of  man  to  keep  the  law  and  remain  also  without 
sin;  and  also,  that  by  him  a  righteous  judgment  might  come  upon  all 
flesh." —  Lectures  on  Faith,  V. 

"For,  behold,  the  Lord  your  Redeemer  suffered  death  in  the  flesh; 
wherefore  he  suffered  the  pain  of  all  men,  that  all  men  might  repent 
and  come  unto  him.  And  he  hath  risen  again  from  the  dead,  that  he 
might  bring  all  men  unto  him,  on  conditions  of  repentance." — Doctrine 
and  Covenants,  Section  18,  11-12. 

Through  all  of  these  explanations  of  this  august  doctrine  a 
distinct  logical  consistency  is  manifest.  The  souls  of  mankind, 
subjected  to  the  limiting  conditions  of  material  earth-life,  which 
inevitably  involve  the  existence  of  sin  and  death,  because  of  the 
vividness  of  sense  experience,  etc.,  gradually  tend  to  forget  God 
and  the  "glory  which  [they]  had  with  him  before  the  world 
was."  And  this  is  the  sum  total  of  all  that  is  sin.  They  become 
blinded  and  incapable  in  respect  to  spiritual  things  through  the 
domination  in  their  minds  of  considerations  gross  and  sensuous. 
It  is  obviously  impossible,  therefore,  that  they  could,  by  and 
through  their  own  efforts,  transcend  the  limitations  into  which 
they  have  been  born. 

The  logical  consequence  is  that  an  "  intervention  "  must  take 
place.  Thus  it  is  that  the  Son  of  God  himself  becomes  a  man, 
"  in  all  points  tempted  as  are  we,"  emptying  himself,  as  the 
Apostle  Paul  informs  us,  of  all  his  dignities  and  powers,  and 
becoming  poor  for  our  sakes.  Yet,  because  he  was,  even  as 
man,  also  a  perfected  man  he  alone  could  achieve  the  mastery 
of  conditions  common  to  humanity,  and  rising  above  them,  even 
above  a  death  of  torture  and  ignominy,  demonstrate  to  man  and 
God  alike  the  possibilities  of  God-assisted  humanity.  Therefore, 
as  a  consequence  of  his  "  atonement,"  which  is  to  say,  his  recon- 
ciliation, the  sin  and  "  fall  "of  Adam  ceases  to  appear  in  the 
eyes  of  God  as  an  obstacle  or  barrier  to  man's  restoration  to 
spiritual  life  on  a  plane  of  higher  development,  and  is  thus  said 
to  have  been  "  forgiven  "  through  Christ.  In  other  words,  the 
achievements  of  Christ  have  brought  to  a  demonstration  the  truth 
that  man's  nature  was  not  irretrievably  ruined  by  the  "  fall,"  and 
that  God's  "experiment"  is  not  a  failure.    Human  nature  in 


2o6  THE  REAL  MORMONISM 

the  person  of  Christ  has  stood  the  uttermost  test  and  remained 
faithful  to  the  heavenly  vision.  And  this  same  test  is  possible 
to,  even  if  not  required  of,  all  men  whose  hearts  are  set  into 
harmony  with  God's  will,  and  whose  trust  is  in  Him. 

There  are  many  figures  that  might  be  used  to  symbolize  the 
atoning  act  of  Christ ;  but  the  following  from  Professor  John  A. 
Widtsoe  will  excellently  suffice: 

"  Conditions  that  may  be  likened  to  the  atonement  are  found  in 
science.  Suppose  an  electrical  current,  supplying  a  whole  city  with 
power  and  light,  is  passing  through  a  wire.  If  for  any  reason  the  wire 
is  cut  the  city  becomes  dark  and  all  machines  driven  by  the  current 
cease  their  motion.  If  a  person,  in  his  anxiety  to  restore  the  city  to 
its  normal  conditions,  seizes  the  ends  of  the  wire  with  his  bare  hands, 
and  unites  them,  he  probably  will  receive  the  full  charge  of  the  current 
in  his  body.  Yet,  as  a  result,  the  light  and  power  will  return  to  the  city ; 
and  one  man  by  his  action,  has  succeeded  in  doing  the  work  for  many." 
—  Science  and  the  Gospel,  p.  119. 

Mormon  theology,  however,  discriminates  the  action  of  the 
atonement  into  two  distinct  and  separate  channels  of  application, 
which  may  be  described  as  the  general  and  the  particular.  In 
accordance  with  the  analysis  of  the  doctrine,  as  given  above,  the 
general  application  is  concerned  with  God's  view  of  the  matter, 
and  consists  in  virtually  neutralizing  the  effects  of  Adam's  sin, 
which,  from  henceforth  and  forever,  is  done  away,  blotted  out 
and  forgotten  by  God.  The  human  race  has  been  reborn  ac- 
cording to  the  generation  of  the  "  Second  Adam,  the  Lord  from 
heaven." 

Thus,  by  Christ's  act  in  restoring  the  broken  circuit  between 
God  and  man,  all  humanity  stands  before  Him  in  the  same  rela- 
tion, perfectly  restored,  as  that  occupied  by  Adam  before  the 
fall,  with  the  exception,  however,  that  every  man  must  "  work 
out  his  own  salvation  "  by  obedience  to  the  law  and  ordinances 
of  the  Gospel.  And  here  comes  in  the  personal,  or  special, 
application. 

From  the  foregoing  we  may  see  the  force  of  the  article  in  the 
Articles  of  Faith  announcing  that  "  men  shall  be  punished  for 
their  own  sins,  and  not  for  Adam's  transgression."  Further- 
more, by  these  two  lines  of  application  there  is  struck  a  surpris- 
ingly beautiful  balance,  avoiding  the  extremes  alike  of  the  doc- 
trine of  universal  salvation,  as  formulated  by  the  New  Eng- 
land reaction  against  Calvinism,  and  the  traditional  teaching  that 
mankind  are  doubly  burdened  with  their  own  and  Adam's  sins. 

Explaining  the  universal  application  of  Christ's  atoning 
power.  Professor  Orson  Pratt  writes,  as  follows : 

"  We  believe  that  through  the  sufferings,  death,  and  atonement  of 

Jesus  Christ,  all  mankind,  without  exception,  are  to  be  completely  and 

fully  redeemed,  body  and  spirit,  from  the  endless  banishment  and  curse 


THE  ATONEMENT  AND  DUTY  207 

to  which  they  were  consigned  by  Adam's  transgression;  and  that  this 
universal  salvation  and  redemption  of  the  whole  human  family  from  the 
endless  penalty  of  the  original  sin,  is  effected  without  any  conditions, 
whatever,  on  their  part;  that  is,  they  are  not  required  to  repent,  or  be 
baptized,  or  do  anything  else,  in  order  to  be  redeemed  from  that  penalty ; 
for  whether  they  believe  or  disbelieve;  whether  they  repent  or  remain 
impenitent ;  whether  they  are  baptized  or  unbaptized ;  whether  they  keep 
the  commandments  or  break  them;  whether  they  are  righteous  or  un- 
righteous, it  will  make  no  difference  in  relation  to  their  redemption, 
both  soul  and  body,  from  the  penalty  of  Adam's  transgression.  The 
most  righteous  man  that  ever  lived  on  the  earth,  and  the  most  wicked 
wretch  of  the  whole  human  family,  were  both  placed  under  the  same 
curse  without  any  transgression  or  agency  of  their  own,  and  they  both 
alike  will  be  redeemed  from  that  curse  without  any  agency  or  condi- 
tions on  their  part." 

Because  Christ,  through  His  death  and  resurrection,  "  brought 
life  and  immortality  to  light,"  on  the  plane  of  earth  experience, 
which  is  the  plane  of  intelligent  comprehension,  He  made  avail- 
able to  mankind  the  means  of  finding  God,  each  man  for  himself, 
in  the  world  of  earth  experience,  and  through  association  with 
Him  in  the  appointed  ways  of  achieving  a  complete  restoration 
of  spiritual  harmony  with  the  Father.  These  appointed  ways 
are  (a)  compliance  with  the  "ordinances  of  the  Gospel,"  and 
(b)  the  fulfilling  of  the  law  of  righteousness. 

In  the  teachings  upon  the  matter  of  fulfilling  the  law  of 
righteousness  we  find  a  healthy  consistency  with  the  conclusions 
of  life  experience  and  sound  reason;  avoiding  the  extremes  of 
several  systems  of  theology,  which  seem  to  have  set  an  exag- 
gerated estimate  upon  the  divine  requirements  in  this  particular. 
It  is  noticeable,  however,  that  the  common  line  of  teachings  on 
"  human  disability,"  "  total  depravity,"  and  the  like,  which  as- 
sert man's  impotence  to  do  God's  will,  or  to  obey  the  positive 
commands  given  by  him,  have  acted  in  many  instances  to  dis- 
count the  value  of  even  the  commonest  social  virtues  and  to 
encourage,  in  eflfect,  their  actual  neglect.  Thus,  in  the  com- 
monly-received Protestant  doctrine  of  "  salvation  by  faith  "  (as- 
sent) the  supreme  virtue  is  made  to  consist  in  the  mere  act  of 
believing  a  given  line  of  teachings,  which  is  supposed  to  insure 
salvation,  even  with  the  commission  of  mean  and  unethical  sins, 
which  are  only  too  common  among  all  peoples  to  require  desig- 
nation. It  is  a  sad  comment  on  the  logical  sense  of  most  formu- 
lators  of  traditional  systems  that  they  have  neglected  to  follow 
the  plain  Scriptural  teaching  that  in  the  God-led  Christian  life  a 
man  is  to  be  endowed  with  power  to  fulfill  the  moral  and  ethical 
law  to  a  sufficient  extent  to  please  God,  who  knows  his  limita- 
tions, and  that  when  he  fails  notably  in  this  matter  it  is  be- 
cause he  is  more  devoted  to  the  world  and  its  concerns  than  to 
the  commands  of  God,  as  he  professes. 


2o8  THE  REAL  MORMONISM 

We  must  consider,  therefore,  that  the  teaching  of  religion 
should  emphasize  righteousness  as  a  duty,  equal  at  least  with  the 
act  of  believing,  and  as  the  test  of  the  reality  of  belief,  or  "  faith," 
rather  than  an  incidental  —  too  often,  also,  a  negligible  —  quan- 
tity. This  is  true  because,  in  ultimate  constitution,  both  the  in- 
dividual and  the  social  order  presuppose,  for  their  normal  con- 
tinuance, the  fulfilment  of  the  very  duties  most  emphasized  by 
Christ  and  most  often  neglected  in  Christian  performance.  Nor 
are  these  only  the  line  of  virtues  usually  classed  as  "moral," 
those  relating  to  **  purity,"  "  temperance,"  and  the  like,  but  those 
usually  classed  as  "  ethical "  also,  the  "  weightier  matters  of  the 
law  " — "  justice,  mercy  and  truth  " —  the  avoidance  of  the  sins 
of  pride,  covetousness,  self -aggrandisement,  the  amassing  of 
useless  wealth,  and  the  development  of  a  spirit  of  indifference 
to  the  sufferings  of  humanity,  which  latter  is  a  notable  mark  of 
what  is  usually  labeled  "  aristocratic."  Had  the  clever  formula- 
tions of  the  Calvins,  and  others  of  similar  tendencies,  been  suf- 
ficiently logical  to  recognize  the  true  Scriptural  teaching  in  this 
matter,  we  should  have  had  a  nearer  approach  to  Christ's  advo- 
cated standards  of  right  living  and  fewer  serious  "  social  prob- 
lems "  to  confront  us  at  the  present  day,  with  the  long  train  of 
"  solutions  "  of  an  utterly  unreligious  character. 

The  simple  truth  is,  in  this  matter,  that  a  "  perfect  man  "  in 
the  eyes  of  God's  law  is  not  of  necessity  an  archangel,  any  more 
than  a  perfect  animal  of  any  species  —  according  to  the  standard 
that  may  be  adopted  in  any  given  case  —  approximates  at  all  to 
characteristics  usually  classed  as  "  human."  Whether  or  not, 
therefore,  good  works  can  merit  salvation,  as  is  denied  by  the 
traditional  "  confessions  "  and  creeds,  it  remains  true  that  they 
are  enjoined  upon  man  as  emphatically  as  is  faith  itself.  The 
question  of  their  intrinsic  worth  is  not  to  enter  into  the  discus- 
sion ;  since,  whether  as  mere  promises  of  payment,  without  "  col- 
lateral," or  coin  current  at  full  face  value,  God  has  declared  that 
they  are  acceptable  to  Him  as  duties  done  and  demands  per- 
formed, which  are  to  be  requited  by  Him,  according  to  the  faith 
and  devotion  which  they  demonstrate  ("  show,"  as  in  James  ii, 
17-18). 

James  E.  Talmage,  writing  of  faith  as  a  consequence  of  ac- 
cepting the  teachings  and  work  of  Christ,  has  this: 

"  Inasmuch  as  salvation  is  attainable  only  through  the  mediation  and 
atonement  of  Christ,  and  since  this  is  made  applicable  to  individual  sin 
only  in  the  cases  of  those  who  obey  the  laws  of  righteousness,  faith  in 
Jesus  Christ  is  indispensable  to  salvation.  ...  As  is  fitting  for  so  price- 
less a  pearl,  it  is  given  to  those  only  who  show  by  their  sincerity  that 
they  are  worthy  of  it,  and  who  give  promise  of  abiding  by  its  dictates. 
Although  faith  is  called  the  first  principle  of  the  Gospel  of  Christ,  though 


THE  ATONEMENT  AND  DUTY  209 

it  be  in  fact  the  foundation  of  all  religion,  yet  even  faith  is  preceded  by 
sincerity  of  disposition  and  humility  of  soul,  whereby  the  word  of  God 
may  make  an  impression  upon  the  heart  .  .  .  Faith  is  a  passive  sense, 
that  is  achieve  as  mere  belief,  is  inefficient  as  a  means  of  salvation.  This 
truth  was  clearly  set  forth  by  Christ  and  the  apostles,  and  the  vigor  with 
which  it  was  declared  may  be  an  indication  of  the  early  development  of  a 
most  pernicious  doctrine  —  that  of  justification  by  belief  alone.  The 
Saviour  taught  that  works  were  essential  to  the  validity  of  profession  and 
the  efficacy  of  faith." — Articles  of  Faith,  pp.  iio-iii. 

Dr.  Talmage  then  proceeds  to  justify  his  contention  by  quoting 
such  passages  of  Scripture  as  Matt,  vii,  21 ;  John  xiv,  21 ;  James 
ii,  14-18;  I  John  ii,  3-5,  and  concludes: 

"Yet  in  spite  of  the  plain  word  of  God,  sectarian  dogmas  have  been 
promulgated  to  the  effect  that  by  faith  alone  man  may  achieve  salva- 
tion, and  that  a  mere  profession  of  belief  shall  open  the  doors  of  heaven 
to  the  sinner.  The  Scriptures  cited  and  man's  inherent  sense  of  justice 
furnish  a  sufficient  refutation  of  these  false  teachings." — Ibid.  p.  112. 

According  to  Mormon  teachings,  the  acceptance  of  the  truth 
of  the  Gospel  must  be  followed  by  repentance,  which  involves  a 
sense  of  sin  and  the  desire  for  forgiveness.  This  latter  end  is 
achieved  in  the  rite  of  baptism,  which,  as  with  John  the  Baptist, 
is  held  to  be  "  for  the  remission  of  sins."  This  act,  however, 
does  not  sanctify  or  blanket  subsequent  ill-doings,  nor  furnish 
excuse  or  palliation  for  persistence  in  evil  practices.  But,  as 
faith  is  declared  to  be  a  "  gift  of  God,"  so  also  is  the  ability  to 
fulfil  the  law  of  righteousness  a  g^ft  of  the  Spirit,  as  a  conse- 
quence of  faith.  At  this  point  we  may  understand  how  that 
belief  in  the  reality  of  "spiritual  gifts"  is  highly  logical  and 
practical.     Roberts  writes  thus: 

"  But  after  forgiveness  of  past  sins  the  human  weakness  still  remains, 
human  inclination  to  sin  still  drives  man  on  toward  error,  and  his 
imperfect  judgment  is  not  sufficient  to  guide  him  aright;  his  human 
strength  alone  is  not  sufficient  to  make  him  equal  to  the  task  of  living 
in  harmony  with  the  divine  law.  God  knew  this  would  be  the  condition 
of  man,  and  hence  provided  in  His  gospel  the  baptism  of  the  Holy  Ghost 
through  the  ordinance  of  laying-on  of  hands,  by  which  this  baptism  is 
eff'ected.  By  this  baptism  of  the  Spirit  man's  life  is  brought  in  touch 
with  the  spirit  life  of  God,  and  some  of  God's  strength  imparted  to  him, 
by  reason  of  which  he  may  hope  to  overcome  the  world,  the  flesh  and 
the  devil.  He  receives  in  the  companionship  of  the  Holy  Ghost,  and 
the  privilege  of  perpetually  walking  within  the  circle  of  His  influence,  an 
unction  from  the  Holy  One,  by  which  he  may  know  all  things,  an  anoint- 
ing which,  if  it  abide  upon  him,  will  teach  him  all  things.  Under  this 
companionship  and  its  influence  man  begins  the  work  of  character- 
building,  which  at  the  last  shall  prepare  him  to  dwell  with  God." — Mor- 
monism,  its  Origin  and  History,  p.  38. 

While  it  is  true  that  the  Mormon  Church,  quite  as  much  as  any 
other,  would  be  inclined  to  discount  the  Godward  value  of 
**  works  done  by  unregenerate  men  " —  emphasizing  as  it  does 
the  need  of  performing  the  divinely-ordained  ordinances,  par- 


Szib  THE  REAL  MORMONISM         "^ 

ticularly  baptism,  which  it  declares  necessary  to  salvation,  or 
admission  to  the  higher  glories  of  the  Kingdom  of  God  —  it 
makes  the  most  elaborate  provisions  for  ensuring  the  end  of 
righteous  living,  in  all  that  the  expression  connotes,  among  its 
people.  Indeed,  in  its  familiar  phrases,  "  salvation  of  the  earth," 
"  salvation  of  the  total  man,"  '*  salvation  of  society,"  it  expresses 
a  wider  and  completer  idea  of  salvation  than  that  of  the  indi- 
vidual soul  merely.  That  it  is  essentially  a  social  system  is 
demonstrated  in  its  "  hierarchic  "  organization,  which,  in  effect, 
reorganizes  human  society  on  a  religious  basis,  doing  as  much  as 
seems  humanly  or  terrestrially  possible  to  enable  the  living  of  a 
righteous  life  by  all  its  members.  Thus,  as  is  explained  in  the 
section  dealing  with  this  organization,  the  element  of  close  and 
constant  association  of  each  member  of  the  Church,  with  all 
others,  first  with  the  members  of  his  own. quorum,  and  through 
it  with  all  other  quorums,  to  the  very  highest,  makes  him  a  factor 
in  a  strongly  organized  machine;  giving  him  such  assistance, 
spiritual,  moral  and  temporal,  as  he  may  require,  also  moving 
him  to  form  the  habit  of  helpfulness  to  others,  as  a  part  of  his 
religious  duties.  This  element  of  strong  organization  and  close 
association  undoubtedly  begets  a  sense  of  fellow-feeling  among 
men  —  the  very  thing  most  needed  in  these  days  of  social  per- 
plexities. The  claim  is  that  this  very  organization  was  revealed 
for  the  purpose  of  achieving  the  development  of  superior  per- 
sonal and  social  righteousness,  impossible  without  some  such 
device.  Indeed,  the  failure  of  traditional  systems  to  counteract 
social  and  moral  difficulties,  as  well  as  the  familiar  derogation  of 
formal  righteousness,  are  held  to  be  notable  evidences  of  their 
"  apostasy  " —  they  have  ignored  the  divine  institutions  of  soci- 
ety, and  have  thus  lost  the  power  of  the  "  priesthood."  It  would 
seem  reasonable,  indeed,  that  God,  requiring  the  development  of 
social  virtues,  and  allowing  such  sad  perversions  to  result  from 
their  neglect  —  and  we  see  enough  of  this  sort  of  thing  now- 
adays—  should  have  provided  a  mechanism  in  His  Church  that 
should  be  capable  of  assisting  materially  in  the  work  of  fulfilling 
His  commands.  Nor  is  the  claim  that  a  stable  and  vital  organi- 
zation, when  working  to  achieve  such  ends,  directly  evidences  its 
own  divine  authority  and  origin  by  any  means  absurd.  Christ 
put  the  "  duty  to  the  neighbor  " — *'  Thou  shalt  love  thy  neighbor 
as  thyself  " —  second  only  to  the  "  duty  toward  God  " ;  but  he 
talked  about  it  very  much  oftener,  and  frequently  came  near  to 
identifying  the  two  (I  John  iv.  20-21).  If,  then,  as  is  claimed, 
he  founded  his  Church,  with  authority  to  preach  his  Gospel  and 
administer  the  ordinances  of  religion,  for  the  glory  of  God  and 
the  salvation  of  mankind,  it  would  seem  nearly  inevitable  that  he 


THE  ATONEMENT  AND  DUTY  211 

should  endow  it  with  the  proper  means  of  fulfilling  his  con- 
stantly urged  commands  regarding  the  ethical  duties,  which 
should  redeem  society  from  its  "  problems "  and  perplexities. 
It  is  a  sad  thing  that  we  must  record  that  this  evident  truth  was 
lost  to  sight  for  eighteen  hundred  years,  and  that,  as  we  must 
confess,  no  one,  reformer  or  otherwise,  thought  of  it  as  a  neces- 
sary element  in  Gospel  administration,  until  the  day  of  Joseph 
Smith. 

Because  the  Mormon  gospel  stands  upon  this  evident  New  Tes- 
tament basis  of  emphasizing  temporal  and  social  well-being,  and 
the  virtues  upon  which  these  depend,  nearly  the  first  act  of 
Joseph  Smith,  after  the  foundation  of  his  church,  was  to  in- 
augurate the  United  Order,  or  Order  of  Enoch,  whose  object 
was  to  realize  practical  cooperation  for  the  common  good.  This 
Order,  which  attempted  to  carry  out  on  a  consistent  scale  the 
community  of  goods  practiced  by  the  ancient  saints  at  Jerusalem, 
was  one  of  the  most  interesting  and  significant  sociological  move- 
ments of  modem  times.  Its  discontinuance  as  a  practical  reality 
by  no  means  eliminated  the  ideals  which  it  embodied,  and  its 
restoration,  as  the  highest  type  of  divine  righteousness  in  human 
society,  is  confidently  expected.  Indeed,  while  making  no  at- 
tempt to  remodel  the  customs  of  society,  the  whole  organization 
of  the  Church  still  maintains  loyalty  to  this  noble  ideal. 

It  would  be  difficult  to  see  how  the  organization  of  the  "  hier- 
archy "  could  operate  otherwise  than  to  the  temporal  and  moral 
advantage  of  all  concerned.  Indeed,  it  supplies  an  excellent 
model  for  such  a  reorganization  of  society  on  a  religious  basis 
as  shall  insure  the  happiness  and  well-being  of  a  goodly  majority, 
as  against  the  present  absurd  and  brutal  social  order  which  spe- 
ciously harbors,  on  the  one  hand,  complacent  self -righteousness, 
fatly  thriving  on  worldly  advantage  and  solaced  with  the  alleged 
"  blessed  assurances  "  of  a  debased  "  Qiristianity,"  and,  on  the 
other,  black  despair,  filthy  vice  and  degrading  poverty,  so  that 
neither  interferes  with  the  other.  Traditional  religion  leaves 
society  utterly  unorganized,  and  offers  no  encouragement,  except 
for  those  who  may  be 

"  Lured  by  hope  of  some  diviner  drink 
To  fill  the  cup  that's  crumbled  into  dust." 

In  broad  contrast  with  these  performances,  or  lack  of  per- 
formances, Mormonism  has  always  had  a  very  important  "  tem- 
poral side,"  which  has  drawn  railing  accusations  from  its  critics, 
who  violently  denounce  any  public,  social  and  industrial  activi- 
ties in  a  professedly  religious  body,  simply  because  their  own 
sects  have  demonstrated  their  complete  futility  in  their  impo- 
tence before  the  great  moral  and  sociological  complications  of 


212  THE  REAL  MORMONISM 

the  times.  In  this  one  particular,  as  will  be  explained  later,  the 
Mormon  gospel  contains  a  real  and  valid  message  and  example 
to  the  whole  world  in  these  days  of  social  and  moral  unrest. 
On  this  point  President  Joseph  F.  Smith  writes  as  follows : 

"  No  sacred  system  of  government,  having  in  view  the  salvation 
of  the  bodies  as  well  as  the  spirits  of  men,  can  successiully  accomplish 
its  mission  without  being  temporal  as  well  as  spiritual  in  character.  It 
was  the  doctrine  of  Joseph  Smith,  the  original  revelator  of  *  Mormonism,* 
that  the  spirit  and  the  body  constitute  the  soul  of  man.  It  has  always 
been  a  cardinal  teaching  with  the  Latter-day  Saints,  that  a  religion  which 
has  not  the  power  to  save  people  temporally  and  make  them  prosperous 
and  happy  here,  cannot  be  depended  upon  to  save  them  spiritually,  and 
exalt  them  in  the  life  to  come." — The  Truth  about  Mormonism,  Out 
West,  Sept.,  190S,  p.  242. 

The  Mormon  Church  is  thus  the  first  body  claiming  to  be  the 
true  Church  which  has  promulgated  the  theory  that  this  claim 
must  be  made  good,  according  to  the  New  Testament  standard, 
that  a  tree  is  to  be  judged  as  good  or  evil,  according  to  its  fruits. 
Says  Charles  Ellis: 

"  I  do  not  care  for  these  cries  of  fraud  against  Smith  and  Mormonism 
any  more  than  I  do  for  the  same  cries  that  have  rung  down  the 
centuries  against  Jesus  and  His  religion.  The  only  question  is  —  what 
have  these  alleged  frauds  done  for  the  good  of  mankind?  *  Christianity ' 
has  shed  more  blood  than  all  other  systems  and  powers  on  earth,  and 
civilization  has  come  in  spite  of  it.  What  has  *  Mormonism '  done, 
what  is  it  doing?  Christianity  has  given  martyrs  to  its  cause  —  so  has 
Mormonism,  and  Mormonism  has  given  help,  home  and  happiness  to 
many  thousands  of  Christians  who  would  have  known  neither  without 
its  helping  hand.  Very  early  in  the  career  of  the  Mormon  Church  the 
principle  of  cooperation  was  set  up  as  the  line  along  which  the  Church 
should  work  for  'the  brotherhood  of  man,'  and  while  it  has  never 
been  realized  as  anticipated,  several  attempts  have  been  made  that  have 
been  at  least  partially  successful,  even  against  bitter  opposition  by  gov- 
ernment officials  and  anti-Mormons  in  general.  .  .  .  Owing  to  the  many 
adversities  against  which  the  Church  and  people  have  had  to  struggle 
the  principle  of  cooperation  may  be  said  to  be  yet  largely  latent,  but 
it  is  deeply  rooted  in  the  minds  of  the  people  that  the  time  is  sure  to 
come  when  cooperation  will  exist  wherever  it  can  be  made  practicable 
among  Mormons.  .  .  .  Below  it  is  the  theological  belief  that  this  world, 
practically  as  it  is  now,  is  to  be  the  home  of  the  people  who  lived  upon 
it  in  mortal  life,  through  that  endless  life  upon  which  they  will  enter  '  in 
the  resurrection,'  and  cooperation  will  then  be  the  rule.  .  .  .  Brigham 
Young,  all  admit,  was  a  wonderful  colonizer.  Yet  his  work  was  all 
done  to  carry  out  this  Mormon  idea  of  an  eternal  life  on  this  very 
world.  His  policy  has  been  followed.  The  Mormon  leaders  have  bought 
land  for  the  Church  in  most  of  these  mountain  states  and  territories, 
as  well  as  in  Mexico  and  Canada.  Why?  Because  they,  for  their  peo- 
ple, could  buy  vastly  more  advantageously  than  individuals  could.  But 
that  land  the  Church  sells  on  easy  terms  to  its  immigrants,  and  so  wel- 
comes them  by  cooperation  and  brotherhood. 

"  Whether  Mormonism  is  right  or  wrong,  its  this-world-religiori  of 
cooperation  and  brotherhood-of-man  seems  to  have  been  and  to  continue 
to  be  good  for  the  Mormon  people, —  and  why  should  we  not  all  admit 


THE  ATONEMENT  AND  DUTY  213 

the  fact?  Mormonism  is  a  practical  every-day  religion  of  this  life  and 
this  world  looking  upon  the  advancement  of  its  people  here  as  the  best 
preparation  for  that  eternal  life  they  expect  to  live  on  this  same  world 
'in  the  resurrection.'  All  peoples  have  equal  right  to  form  and  hold 
their  opinions  as  to  the  meaning  and  purpose  of  this  life  and  that  which 
is  to  come,  and,  therefore,  it  strikes  me  that  among  religious  sects  Mor- 
monism has  achieved  sufficient  success  to  give  it  a  pull  strong  enough 
to  withstand  all  ministerial  and  political  misrepresentation  and  abuse. 
If  I  were  a  Mormon  I  should  not  be  uneasy  as  to  the  result." —  Christian 
and  Mormon  Doctrines,  pp.  32-35. 

In  the  study  of  the  Mormon  system,  in  spite  of  the  partial 
explanations  given  by  most  authorities,  and  the  evident  crudities 
of  style  and  expression  found  in  the  writings  of  some  of  its 
prominent  exponents  in  the  past,  one  catches,  every  now  and 
then,  sure  glimpses,  apparently,  of  a  grand  and  admirable 
philosophy,  behind  and  beneath  all  its  principles.  Thus,  strange 
as  it  may  seem  to  the  casual  reader,  this  "  materialism  "  of  which 
we  hear  so  much,  this  "  this-world  religion  "  of  practical  ideals 
and  standards,  appears  as  an  essential  element  in  a  consistent 
and  far-reaching  scheme  of  salvation  that  is  to  include,  not  only 
the  spirits  and  bodies  of  mankind,  but  also  the  earth  itself, 
which,  according  also  to  very  many  Bible  commentators  other 
than  Mormons,  is  to  be  the  eternal  home  of  the  blessed. 

Furthermore,  as  it  seems,  this  salvation,  or  redemption,  of  the 
earth  from  the  "  curse  "  need  not  wait  wholly  upon  the  miracu- 
lous interposition  of  God:  man  himself  is  the  appointed  instru- 
ment of  its  achievement.  He  is  to  figure  forth  the  divine  life 
in  his  own  person,  and  is  to  make  the  earth  the  habitation  of  a 
redeemed  race,  which,  upon  the  return  of  the  Lord  Jesus  Christ 
and  the  resurrection  of  the  righteous,  shall  be  transformed,  so 
as  to  eliminate  all  traces  of  the  strife  and  stress  under  which  it 
has  suffered  hitherto.  It  will  be,  in  short,  a  fitting  habitation  for 
the  sons  and  daughters  of  God,  a  material  world,  but  a  world  of 
refined,  perfected,  purified  material,  in  which,  as  in  the  form  of 
a  crystal,  is  to  be  found  the  most  perfect  equilibrium  of  natural 
forces  in  matter.  This  grand  idea  is  expressed  among  some 
"  important  items  of  instruction,"  given  by  Joseph  Smith,  as 
follows : 

"  The  angels  do  not  reside  on  a  planet  like  this  earth.  But  they  reside 
in  the  presence  of  God,  on  a  globe  like  a  sea  of  glass  and  fire,  where 
all  things  for  their  glory  are  manifest  —  past,  present,  and  future,  and 
are  continually  before  the  Lord.  The  place  where  God  tesides  is  a 
great  Urim  and  Thummim. 

"This  earth,  in  its  sanctified  and  immortal  state,  will  be  made  like 
unto  crystal  and  will  be  a  Urim  and  Thummim  to  the  inhabitants  who 
dwell  thereon,  whereby  all  things  pertaining  to  an  inferior  kingdom,  or 
all  kingdoms  of  a  lower  order,  will  be  manifest  to  those  who  dwell  on  it ; 
and  this  earth  will  be  Christ's." — Doctrine  and  Covenants,  Sec.  cxxx. 
6^. 


214  THE  REAL  MORMONISM 

"  The  spirit  and  the  body  is  the  soul  of  man.  And  the  resurrection 
from  the  dead  is  the  redemption  of  the  soul;  and  the  redemption  of  the 
soul  is  through  him  who  quickeneth  all  things,  in  whose  bosom  it  is 
decreed  that  the  poor  and  the  meek  of  the  earth  shall  inherit  it.  There- 
fore it  must  needs  be  sanctified  from  all  unrighteousness,  that  it  may  be 
prepared  for  the  celestial  glory;  for  after  it  hath  filled  the  measure  of 
its  creation,  it  shall  be  crowned  with  glory,  even  with  the  presence  of 
God  the  Father;  that  bodies  who  are  of  the  celestial  kingdom  may  pos- 
sess it  forever  and  ever;  for,  for  this  intent  was  it  made  and  created, 
and  for  this  intent  are  they  sanctified." — Ibid.  Sec.  Ixxxviii.  15-20. 

In  contemplating  this  noble  ideal  of  the  earth's  destiny,  we 
gain  a  new  insight  into  the  essential  relation  between  righteous- 
ness and  the  service  of  God.  Mankind  are  not  merely  God's 
beneficiaries,  but,  literally,  His  coadjutors,  His  instruments  in 
perfecting  the  work  of  creation.  And  this  work  must  occupy 
all  their  time  and  efiforts.  The  virtues  commanded  by  the  law 
of  God  are  included  in  the  law  not  because  God  chose  to  call  one 
thing  good  and  another  unlawful,  but  because,  in  an  order  such 
as  the  present  one,  certain  acts  are  consistent  elements  in  the 
grand  perspective  of  human  and  terrestrial  perfection  and  re- 
demption, and  others  are  inconsistent.  Thus,  as  in  every  har- 
mony, each  separate  instrument,  each  particular  note,  must  be 
perfectly  attuned  to  its  part  in  the  total  effect  —  otherwise,  the 
harmony  is  imperfect  —  so  each  human  element  in  God's  grand 
symphony  of  redemption  must  take  its  part  perfectly,  and  in 
complete  harmony  with  all  others.  We  may  see,  also,  that,  while 
the  importance  of  the  moral  virtues,  purity,  temperance,  etc.,  as 
very  real  forms  of  piety  —  our  bodies  being  "  temples  of  the 
Holy  Ghost " —  cannot  be  too  highly  estimated,  it  remains  true, 
nevertheless,  that  those  which  express  the  "  duty  to  man,"  jus- 
tice, mutual  helpfulness,  brotherly  kindness,  and  the  like,  tradi- 
tionally neglected  to  so  large  an  extent,  are  of  no  lesser  im- 
portance or  significance.  It  is  a  real  revelation  to  the  world,  this 
proclamation  that  man  must  be  perfected  socially,  as  well  as  per- 
sonally: it  had  been  almost  altogether  forgotten. 

In  view  of  the  principles  just  explained,  it  seems  reasonable 
to  assert  that  we  find  in  this  system  an  idea  of  the  essential  na- 
ture of  the  Church  of  God  which  contains  notable  elements  of 
improvement  on  the  one  existing  in  popular  acceptation,  or  un- 
derstanding. We  cannot  deny  that  there  has  been,  hitherto, 
altogether  too  much  of  a  tendency  to  picture  the  Church  some- 
what under  the  similitude  of  a  lifeboat  filled  with  the  salvage  of 
a  shipwreck,  its  passengers  receiving  their  seats  and  titles  to 
safety  through  "  grace "  or  favoritism,  and  having  as  their 
greatest  obligation  to  feel  a  gratefulness  to  the  Author  of  their 
rescue.  Thus,  it  is,  that,  in  current  estimation,  a  man  "  joins 
the  Church  "  for  the  sole  purpose  of  "  saving  his  soul."    It  is 


THE  ATONEMENT  AND  DUTY  215 

needless  to  state  that  the  Biblical  authority  for  this  view  is  ex- 
tremely imperfect;  the  actual  theory  of  the  Church,  as  found  in 
Scripture,  being  that  of  a  "  peculiar  people,"  chosen  by  God  for 
a  special  work  and  mission  in  the  world  —  precisely  as  He  chose 
the  descendants  of  Abraham  —  and  to  be  favored  with  special 
instructions  for  their  guidance,  and  endowed  with  peculiar  gifts 
and  capacities  for  fulfilling  the  duties  specified  in  this  law.  In 
other  words,  instead  of  a  crowd  of  cowering  refugees  or  sur- 
vivors from  some  calamitous  happening,  the  Church  should  be 
considered  rather,  as  in  the  words  of  John  the  Revelator,  an 
order  of  "  kings  and  priests  unto  God."  Nor  should  it  be  only, 
considered  in  this  light,  in  the  estimation  of  its  members  and 
advocates  —  it  should  not  be  so  called,  merely,  just  as  one  race 
is  called  Mongols  and  another  Kaffirs,  and  to  be  distinguished 
from  one  another  by  no  evident  moral  or  spiritual  orders  of 
superiority,  apart  from  their  mental  and  physical  attributes  — 
but  should  evidently  embody  reasonable  and  effective  means  for 
rendering  them  actually  capable  of  embodying,  in  some  measure, 
the  qualities  involved  in  kingly  and  priestly  dignities. 

With  evident  apprehension  of  some  such  idea,  Mormonism 
postulates  directly  that  the  preparation  of  the  individual  soul  to 
discharge  the  functions  of  a  true  son  of  God  must  consist  in 
literal  exercise  of  the  spiritual  endowments  specified  in  Scrip- 
ture. Thus,  in  the  ordinance  of  the  laying-on  of  hands  of  the 
Higher  Priesthood,  a  man  is  believed  to  receive  directly  the  gift 
of  the  Holy  Ghost,  which  involves  that  the  divine  life  is  im- 
parted to  him,  henceforth  to  dwell  in  him,  and  that  actually,  not 
formally  or  by  imputation  merely,  he  becomes  a  "  new  creature  " 
and  a  "  partaker  in  the  divine  nature."  The  awful  responsibility 
involved  in  this  new  creation  of  his  being  must  be  expressed  in- 
evitably in  the  discharge  of  the  duties  and  obligation  specified  in 
the  commands  of  Christ,  and  foreshadowed  in  the  law  of  Moses. 
Nor  does  this  indwelling  of  the  Holy  Ghost  involve  merely  an 
unconscious  formative  influence  at  work  in  his  inward  parts, 
resulting  in  the  refined  susceptibilities  and  the  "  lofty  senti- 
ments," which  are  so  habitually  associated  with  the  word  "  spir- 
ituality" in  the  deliverances  of  the  average  religionist.  As  a 
man  is  a  conscious  and  rational  being,  as  Christ  spoke  in  plain 
and  comprehensible  terms,  and  as  it  is  "  impossible  to  be  saved 
in  ignorance " —  or  through  any  merely  "  unconscious  "  and 
"  chemicalizing  "  action  or  influence  —  it  follows  that  the  prin- 
ciples of  the  Gospel  must  be  consciously  learned,  assimilated  and 
observed,  in  order  that  each  child  of  God  may  be  "  conformed 
to  the  image  of  His  Son."  Thus,  after  all  that  has  been  said, 
the  true  and  vital  Theology  is  tiie  "God-science,  the  formal 


2i6  THE  REAL  MORMONISM 

presentation  of  the  truths  of  life  and  of  religion.  And  it  is  an 
essential  part  of  religious  life.  This  explains  the  meaning  of 
Parley  P.  Pratt,  as  above  quoted,  in  calling  theology  the  science 
of  (i)  God-communication,  (2)  of  creation,  (3)  of  knowledge, 
(4)  of  life,  (5)  of  faith,  (6)  of  spiritual  gifts,  and  (7)  "of  all 
other  sciences  and  useful  arts,"  which  are  piously  regarded  as 
originated  and  imparted  through  the  communion  of  divine  and 
human  spirits. 

For  the  purpose  of  effecting  this  grand  result,  as  is  claimed, 
all  the  institutions  of  the  Church  were  organized  and  are  main- 
tained. As  a  special  help,  however,  we  find  the  ceremony  of 
"endowment"  is  prescribed.  This  is  regularly  administered  in 
the  temples,  which  are  built  for  this  purpose,  in  addition  to  the 
special  ordinances  for  the  living  and  the  dead,  as  will  be  ex- 
plained at  a  later  place.  Of  the  "  endowment "  ordinances, 
James  E.  Talmage  writes,  as  follows : 

"The  Temple  Endowment,  as  administered  in  modern  temples,  com- 
prises instruction  relating  to  the  significance  and  sequence  of  past 
dispensations,  and  the  importance  of  the  present  as  the  greatest  and 
grandest  era  in  human  history.  This  course  of  instruction  includes  a 
recital  of  the  most  prominent  events  of  the  creative  period,  the  condition 
of  our  first  parents  in  the  Garden  of  Eden,  their  disobedience  and  con- 
sequent expulsion  from  that  blissful  abode,  their  condition  in  the  lone 
and  dreary  world  when  doomed  to  live  by  labor  and  sweat,  the  plan  of 
redemption  by  which  the  great  transgression  may  be  atoned,  the  period 
of  the  great  apostasy,  the  restoration  of  the  Gospel  with  all  its  ancient 
powers  and  privileges,  the  absolute  and  indispensable  condition  of  per- 
sonal purity  and  devotion  to  the  right  in  present  life,  and  a  strict  com- 
pliance with  Gospel  requirements. 

".  .  .  the  temples  erected  by  the  Latter-day  Saints  provide  for  the 
giving  of  these  instructions  in  separate  rooms,  each  devoted  to  a  par- 
ticular part  of  the  course;  and  by  this  provision  it  is  possible  to  have 
several  classes  under  instruction  at  one  time. 

"  The  ordinances  of  the  endowment  embody  certain  obligations  on  the 
part  of  the  individual,  such  as  covenant  and  promise  to  observe  the  law 
of  strict  virtue  and  chastity,  to  be  charitable,  benevolent,  tolerant  and 
pure;  to  devote  both  talent  and  material  means  to  the  spread  of  truth 
and  the  uplifting  of  the  race ;  to  maintain  devotion  to  the  cause  of  truth ; 
and  to  seek  in  every  way  to  contribute  to  the  great  preparation  that  the 
earth  may  be  made  ready  to  receive  her  King, —  the  Lord  Jesus  Christ. 
With  the  taking  of  each  covenant  and  the  assuming  of  each  obligation  a 
promised  blessing  is  pronounced,  contingent  upon  the  faithful  observance 
of  the  conditions. 

".  .  .  In  every  detail  the  endowment  ceremony  contributes  to  covenants 
of  morality  of  life,  consecration  of  person  to  high  ideals,  devotion  to 
truth,  patriotism  to  nation,  and  allegiance  to  God.  The  blessings  of  the 
House  of  the  Lord  are  restricted  to  no  privileged  class;  every  member 
of  the  Church  may  have  admission  to  the  Temple  with  the  right  to  par- 
ticipate in  the  ordinances  thereof,  if  he  comes  duly  accredited  as  of 
worthy  life  and  conduct."—  The  House  of  the  Lord,  pp.  9^101. 

In  addition  to  the  covenants  and  blessings  of  the  endowments, 


THE  ATONEMENT  AND  DUTY  217 

all  men  are  expected  to  enter  the  priesthood,  thus  effectually 
identifying  themselves  with  the  Church  and  its  interests,  and 
engaging  to  live  in  accordance  with  the  requirements  of  the 
Gospel.  As  provided  by  the  regular  grading  of  offices  and  func- 
tions, from  the  lowest  in  the  Aaronic  order  to  the  High  Priest- 
hood of  the  Melchisedek  order,  as  will  be  explained  in  place, 
this  "  official "  service  of  God  may  begin,  as  is  the  rule,  with  a 
boy  of  twelve  or  thirteen  years  of  age,  and  be  continued  by 
regular  successive  ordinations  to  higher  and  higher  functions, 
until  the  highest  office  in  the  gift  of  the  Church  may  be  attained. 
This  excellent  arrangement,  which,  if  nothing  beside,  achieves  a 
most  desirable  esprit  de  corps,  cannot  fail  to  give  a  reality  to  all 
religious  teachings  and  encouragement  in  the  performance  of 
prescribed  duties.  It  literally  brings  religion  into  intimate  touch 
with  everyday  life,  as  is  desirable,  and  is  thus,  in  reality,  a  most 
effective  means  for  transforming  life,  society,  and,  at  last,  the 
world  itself.  The  "  hierarchy "  of  the  Mormon  Church  is  the 
masterpiece  of  the  ages. 

As  acknowledged  by  all  unbiased  observers,  the  Mormon  peo- 
ple are  most  serious  and  earnest  in  following  the  law  of  righteous- 
ness. In  no  connection  is  this  more  evident  than  in  the  matter 
of  purity,  temperance  and  the  social  virtues.  Drunkenness, 
prostitution,  and  similar  pestilent  concomitants  of  civilization, 
are  virtually  unknown  in  communities  controlled  by  them.  Nor 
is  this  anything  other  than  a  distinct  evidence  of  the  reality  of 
their  faith  to  these  people,  and  an  argument  for  the  proposition 
that  the  commands  of  Christ  are  capable  of  being  obeyed  to  the 
letter.  Of  course,  the  institution  of  plural  marriage,  or  polyg- 
amy, will  be^  mentioned  as  an  example  of  something  quite  differ- 
ent, but  as  it  is  fully  discussed  and  explained  in  another  place, 
it  will  be  needless  to  do  more  here  than  to  remark  that  the  in- 
stitution is  nowhere  unmistakably  condemned  or  forbidden  in 
either  the  Old  or  the  New  Testament,  and  may  be  shown  to  have 
been  recognized  by  Christ  himself  in  his  discussion  of  marriage 
and  divorce  by  perfectly  evident  consistency  with  the  Mosaic  law.* 

The  most  valued  and  oftenest  mentioned  revelation  among  the 
Mormons  is  the  so-called  '*  Word  of  Wisdom,"  which  expresses, 
if  not  remarkable  scientific  foresight,  as  some  argue,  at  least  a 
high  ideal  of  temperance  and  abstinence,  particularly  in  the 
matters  of  using  artificial  stimulants  and  in  the  excessive  eating 
of  meat  foods,  both  very  desirable  in  civilized  communities.  It 
is  as  follows: 

"  Not  by  commandment  or  constraint,  but  by  revelation  and  the  word 

of  wisdom,  showing  forth  the  order  and  will  of  God  in  the  temporal 

*  Se«  Note  2  at  the  end  of  this  volume. 


2i8  THE  REAL  MORMONISM 

salvation  of  all  saints  in  the  last  days.  Given  for  a  principle  with  prom- 
ise, adapted  to  the  capacity  of  the  weak  and  the  weakest  of  all  saints, 
who  are  or  can  be  called  saints. 

"  Behold,  verily,  thus  saith  the  Lord  unto  you,  consequence  of  evils 
and  designs  which  do  and  will  exist  in  the  hearts  of  conspiring  men 
in  the  last  days,  I  have  warned  you,  and  forewarn  you,  by  giving  unto 
you  this  word  of  wisdom  by  revelation,  that  inasmuch  as  any  man 
drinketh  wine  or  strong  drink  among  you,  behold  it  is  not  good,  neither 
meet  in  the  sight  of  your  Father,  only  in  assembling  yourselves  together 
to  offer  up  your  sacraments  before  him.  .  .  .  And,  again,  strong  drinks 
are  not  for  the  belly,  but  for  the  washing  of  your  bodies.  And,  again, 
tobacco  is  not  for  the  body,  neither  for  the  belly,  and  is  not  good  for 
man,  but  is  an  herb  for  bruises  and  all  sick  cattle,  to  be  used  with  judg- 
ment and  skill.  And,  again,  hot  drinks  (tea  or  coffee)  are  not  for  the 
body  or  belly.  And,  again,  verily  I  say  unto  you,  all  wholesome  herbs 
God  hath  ordained  for  the  constitution,  nature,  and  use  of  man.  Every 
herb  in  the  season  thereof,  and  every  fruit  in  the  season  thereof;  all 
these  to  be  used  with  prudence  and  thanksgiving.  Yea,  flesh  also  of 
beasts  and  of  fowls  of  the  air,  I,  the  Lord,  have  ordained  for  the  use  of 
man  with  thanksgiving ;  nevertheless  they  are  to  be  used  sparingly ;  and  it 
is  pleasing  unto  me  that  they  should  not  be  used  only  in  times  of  winter, 
or  of  cold,  or  famine.  .  .  .  And  all  saints  who  remember  to  keep  and 
do  these  sayings,  walking  in  obedience  to  the  commandments,  shall  receive 
health  in  their  navel,  and  marrow  to  their  bones,  .  .  .  and  shall  run  and 
not  be  weary,  and  shall  walk  and  not  faint;  and  I,  the  Lord,  give 
unto  them  a  promise,  that  the  destroying  angel  shall  pass  by  them,  as 
the  Children  of  Israel,  and  not  slay  them.  Amen." — Doctrine  and  Cove- 
nants, Section  Ixxxix.  2-5,  7-13,  18-21. 

In  the  matter  of  formal  righteousness  it  seems  evident  that 
the  Mormon  polity  contemplates  a  literal  obedience  to  the  moral 
law,  as  formulated  by  Moses,  but  which  it  is  the  duty  of  the 
follower  of  Christ  to  understand  in  its  true  relation  to  the  ever- 
lasting Gospel.  According  to  the  claim,  therefore,  that  the  truth 
of  God  has  been  the  same  in  all  "  dispensations,"  it  is  held  that 
the  essentials  of  the  Mosaic  legislation  have  been  specifically  re- 
enacted  in  the  Church  of  to-day.  This  is  exampled  in  the  fact 
that,  unlike  many  other  people  who  claim  the  name  of  Christian, 
the  Mormons  believe  that  the  severe  penalties  prescribed  for 
certain  offences  under  the  Mosaic  law  should,  in  justice  and 
righteousness,  still  be  administered,  since,  as  is  frequently  stated 
in  their  literature,  such  laws  and  retributions  have  "  never  been 
repealed."  In  a  certain  very  real  sense,  the  Mormon  Church 
bears  a  singular  analogy  to  the  Mosaic  commonwealth,  since  in 
both  the  severest  penalties  are  advocated  for  the  gravest  offences, 
but  —  and  this  point  must  be  borne  in  mind  —  this  follows  only 
after  the  utmost  provision  has  been  made  to  cultivate  righteous- 
ness of  life  and  to  render  its  exercise  easy  and  "  natural "  to  all. 
In  both  cases  the  theory  is  that  heinous  offences  against  God  and 
the  social  order  must  be  severely  requited,  because  "  bereft  of  all 
just  excuse." 


THE  ATONEMENT  AND  DUTY  219 

Thus  it  is  that,  while  preaching  a  doctrine  as  nearly  like  **  uni- 
versal salvation  "  as  would  be  possible  in  consistence  with  reason 
and  Scripture  —  and  the  claim  is  that  the  "  Gospel  is  a  message 
of  salvation,  not  of  condemnation  " —  the  strongest  denuncia- 
tions have  been  launched  against  the  "  unpardonable  sin,"  which 
must  literally  doom  its  perpetrator  to  endless  banishment  from 
the  presence  of  God,  among  the  "  sons  of  Perdition."  These 
accursed  ones  represent,  of  course,  all  those  whose  wickedness  is 
irredeemable  in  all  ages  of  the  world,  those  who  have  "  sinned 
against  the  Holy  Spirit,"  after  having  received  His  blessings  and 
presence  into  their  lives.  For,  as  is  argued  with  good  consist- 
ency, it  is  obviously  impossible  to  sin  against  the  Holy  Ghost, 
unless  He  has  been  already  received,  or  imparted.  Under  other 
conditions,  even  the  gravest  sin  is  to  be  compared  with  the  guilt 
of  this  offence,  only  because  in  violence  to  the  fundamental  laws 
of  being  and  of  human  society.  In  writing  of  the  "  sons  of 
Perdition,"  Talmage  has  the  following: 

"These  are  they  who,  having  learned  the  power  of  God,  afterward 
renounce  it;  those  who  sin  wilfully,  in  the  light  of  knowledge;  those 
who  open  their  hearts  to  the  Holy  Spirit,  and  then  put  the  Lord  to  a 
mockery  and  a  shame  by  denying  it;  and  those  who  commit  murder, 
wherein  they  shed  innocent  blood;  these  are  they  of  whom  the  Savior 
has  declared  that  it  would  be  better  for  them  had  they  never  been  born." 
—  The  Articles  of  the  Faith,  p.  62. 

The  matter  is  also  explained  in  the  authoritative  scriptures: 
"  Thus  saith  the  Lord,  concerning  all  those  who  know  my  power,  and 
have  been  made  partakers  thereof,  and  suffered  themselves,  through  the 
power  of  the  devil,  to  be  overcome,  and  to  deny  the  truth  and  defy  my 
power  .  .  .  they  are  vessels  of  wrath,  doomed  to  suffer  the  wrath  of 
God,  with  the  devil  and  his  angels  in  eternity;  concerning  whom  I  have 
said  there  is  no  forgiveness  in  this  world  nor  in  the  world  to  come, 
having  denied  the  Holy  Spirit  after  having  received  it,  and  having  denied 
the  Only  Begotten  Son  of  the  Father  —  having  crucified  him  unto  them- 
selves, and  put  him  to  an  open  shame.  These  are  they  who  shall  go 
away  into  the  lake  of  fire  and  brimstone,  with  the  devil  and  his  angels, 
and  the  only  ones  on  whom  the  second  death  shall  have  any  power ;  yea, 
verily,  the  only  ones  who  shall  not  be  redeemed  in  the  due  time  of  the 
Lord,  after  the  sufferings  of  his  wrath." —  Doctrine  and  Covenants,  Ixxvi. 
31-38. 

But  because,  as  we  may  assume,  the  Church  is  regarded  as  the 
visible  body  and  representative  of  God  on  earth,  and  because, 
for  that  very  reason  various  sins  and  crimes  in  its  members  must 
appear  all  the  more  heinous,  it  is  definitely  held  that  such  defile- 
ments of  the  person  and  of  society  as  adultery  and  harlotry,  as 
well  as  murder,  should  be  punished  with  death,  even  as  the  law 
of  Moses  prescribes.  Although  for  offences  of  lesser  gravity 
than  murder  —  offences  in  which  restitution  can  be  made,  ap- 
parently—  there  is  distinct  provision  for  forgiveness,  even  after 


220  THE  REAL  MORMONISM 

several  commissions,  the  belief  that  *'  there  is  a  sin  unto  death  " 
is  consistently  maintained.  Nor  may  such  sin  be  forgiven  or 
atoned,  even  after  repentance,  or  apparent  repentance,  except  as 
God's  law  specifies.  In  this  connection  emerges  the  doctrine, 
which,  under  the  title  of  "  blood  atonement,"  has  been  wilfully 
and  wantonly  misrepresented,  and  made  the  occasion  for  mon- 
strous and  unprovable  charges  against  the  Mormon  Church,  by 
persons  professing  acquaintance  with  the  Bible,  also  a  love  of 
truth  and  justice.  If  represented  as  a  teaching  justifying  mur- 
der and  bloodshed,  as  has  been  done  too  often,  it  may  be  stated 
without  hesitation  that  there  is  no  such  doctrine.  If  represented 
as  a  part  of  Scripture  interpretation,  a  fresh  example  of  **  ultra- 
literalism,"  possibly,  it  may  be  explained  and  justified  from 
authoritative  sources. 

Expressed  in  a  few  words,  the  teaching  is  that,  as  the  Bible 
states,  this  "  sin  unto  death  "  may  not  be  included  under  the 
benefits  of  Christ's  atonement.  In  it,  as  it  were,  a  man  repeats 
in  his  own  person,  and  for  himself  the  very  sin  of  Adam  —  even 
after  it  had  been  blotted  out  by  Christ's  atonement  —  that  sin 
which  entailed  banishment  of  every  real  sort  from  the  presence 
and  favor  of  God,  thus  neutralizing  Christ's  work  and  contemn- 
ing his  love.  Hence,  according  to  the  standards  set  up  in 
Scripture,  the  sole  hope  of  forgiveness  for  such  a  man  lies  in  the 
shedding  of  his  own  blood  as  a  *'  sin  offering "  to  God.  This 
teaching  has  been  expressed  several  times  in  the  sermons  of 
Brigham  Young  and  President  Jedediah  M.  Grant,  occasionally 
in  picturesque  and  pointed  sentences,  which  have  been  widely 
quoted,  also  garbled  and  mutilated,  for  the  purpose  of  evidencing 
false  charges  against  the  Mormon  Church  and  its  teach- 
ings. The  following  is  the  teaching  in  the  words  of  President 
Young : 

"  There  are  sins  that  men  commit  for  which  they  cannot  receive  for- 
giveness in  this  world,  or  in  that  which  is  to  come,  and  if  they  had  their 
eyes  open  to  see  their  true  condition,  they  would  be  perfectly  willing  to 
have  their  blood  spilt  upon  the  ground,  that  the  smoke  thereof  might 
ascend  to  heaven  as  an  offering  for  their  sins;  and  the  smoking  incense 
would  atone  for  their  sins,  whereas  if  such  is  not  the  case,  they  (the 
sins)  will  stick  to  them  and  remain  upon  them  in  the  spirit  world.  .  .  . 

"And  furthermore  I  know  that  there  are  transgressors,  who,  if  they 
knew  themselves,  and  the  only  condition  upon  which  they  can  obtain 
forgiveness,  would  beg  of  their  brethren  to  shed  their  blood,  that  the 
smoke  thereof  might  ascend  to  God  as  an  offering  to  appease  the  wrath 
that  is  kindled  against  them,  and  that  the  law  might  have  its  course. 
I  will  say  further  I  have  had  men  come  to  me  and  offer  their  lives  to 
atone  for  their  sins. 

"It  is  true  that  the  blood  of  the  Son  of  God  was  shed  for  sin 
through  the  fall  and  those  committed  by  men,  yet  men  can  commit  sins 
which  it  can  never  remit."—  Journal  of  Discourses,  Vol.  IV,  p.  53-54- 


THE  ATONEMENT  AND  DUTY  221 

Were  it  not  for  the  prodigious  mass  of  misrepresentation  of 
this  doctrine  at  the  hands  of  avowed  enemies  of  Mormonism,  it 
would  be  necessary,  merely,  to  mention  and  explain  it  among  the 
teachings  of  this  system,  and  pass  on  to  the  next  subject  item. 
Under  present  conditions,  however,  it  is  necessary  to  go  further, 
and  demonstrate  that,  so  far  as  the  formal  statement  is  con- 
cerned, this  doctrine  is  entirely  scriptural,  being  evidently  de- 
rived from  faithful  and  literal  interpretation  of  the  text  of  the 
Bible,  and  being  in  no  sense,  whatever,  "  read  into  "  any  passage. 
If  there  is  any  consistency  whatever  in  the  Bible  upon  the  mat- 
ter of  sin  and  transgression,  there  is  nothing  more  evident  than 
the  teaching  that  all  transgression  of  the  law  of  God  entails, 
justly  and  normally,  the  penalty  of  death.  This  is  involved  in 
the  first  great  commandment  to  Adam,  the  penalty  for  its  trans- 
gression being  expressed  in  the  words,  "  In  the  day  that  thou  eat- 
est  thereof  thou  shalt  surely  die"  (Gen.  ii.  17).  According  to 
the  same  sentence,  as  developed  in  the  Mosaic  law,  also,  even, 
in  the  sacrificial  cults  of  "  heathen  "  religions,  the  practice  and 
teaching  of  vicarious  sacrifice  was  established,  and  the  blood  of 
an  animal  victim  was  shed  to  atone  for  the  sins  of  the  repentant 
transgressor.  According  to  traditional  Christian  teaching,  also, 
the  efficacy  of  this  law  of  sacrifice  is  fully  recognized,  although, 
as  taught,  abrogated  and  fulfilled  in  the  atonement  of  Christ, 
which  is  held  to  have  been  typified  by  the  previous  slaughter  of 
animal  victims,  under  the  Jewish  law.  The  theory  in  both  cases 
is  precisely  the  same  as  expressed  in  Leviticus  xvii.  11,  "for 
the  life  of  the  flesh  is  in  the  blood;  and  I  have  given  it  to  you 
upon  the  altar  to  make  an  atonement  for  your  souls:  for  it  is 
the  blood  that  maketh  an  atonement  for  the  soul."  Commenting 
on  the  foregoing,  we  find  the  following  from  Charles  W.  Pen- 
rose, now  one  of  the  First  Presidency  of  the  Mormon  Church : 

"Here  you  see  the  doctrine  of  blood  atonement  laid  down,  and  the 
reason  for  it.  'The  life  of  the  flesh  is  in  the  blood,'  and  it  requires 
the  shedding  of  blood  to  make  *  atonement  for  the  soul.'  But,  .  .  .  the 
blood  of  every  individual  man  and  woman  is  not  required,  because  of  the 
atonement  wrought  out  by  Jesus  Christ.  Here  is  the  cardinal  principle 
of  the  law  of  God  —  that  without  shedding  of  blood  there  is  no  remis- 
sion of  sins.  Therefore,  if  Christ's  blood  had  not  been  shed,  each  indi- 
vidual would  have  had  to  have  his  blood  shed,  according  to  Bible  doc- 
trine. This  may  sound  very  horrifying  to  some  people;  but  it  is  Bible 
doctrine  all  the  same.  It  is  the  doctrine  of  the  Old  Testament,  it  is 
the  doctrine  of  the  New  Testament ;  atonement  or  sacrifice  was  based  on 
this,  and  this  doctrine  was  practised  by  the  people  before  the  law  of 
Moses  was  given.  .  .  . 

"All  those  sacrifices  which  were  offered  up  before  Jesus  Christ,  our 
Redeemer,  came  into  the  world  were  typical  of  the  atonement  that  He 
was  to  work  out.  It  was  not  the  shedding  of  the  blood  of  goats,  sheep 
and  bullocks  upon  the  altar  that  made  the  atonement;  but  this  was  typical 


222  THE  REAL  MORMONISM 

of  the  atonement  of  Jesus  Christ  in  the  future,  just  as  we,  when  we 
partake  of  the  Lord's  Supper,  have  a  piece  of  bread  and  a  cup  of  water, 
or  wine,  as  the  case  may  be,  to  represent  the  atonement  wrought  out 
in  the  past.  .  .  . 

"  But  there  are  persons  who,  after  having  been  washed  and  made  clean 
through  the  blood  of  Christ,  and  made  members  of  His  Church,  again 
commit  sin.  What  about  them?  Why,  if  they  truly  repent,  and  make 
all  the  restitution  that  lays  in  their  power,  they  may  be  forgiven,  they 
may  be  cleansed  again.  But  there  are  some  sins  that  can  be  committed 
from  which  they  cannot  be  cleansed  by  the  blood  of  Christ.  After  receiv- 
ing the  Gospel  and  entering  into  sacred  covenants  with  God  Almighty, 
after  having  been  enlightened  by  the  spirit  of  truth,  having  tasted 
of  the  good  word  of  God  and  the  power  of  the  world  to  come;  if  they 
commit  certain  sins  they  cannot  gain  the  remission  of  those  sins 
through  the  blood  of  Jesus  Christ.  That  may  be  a  new  doctrine  to 
many  people  of  the  world,  but  it  is  an  old  doctrine  to  the  Latter-day 
Saints,  and  you  can  find  it  laid  down  distinctly  and  clearly  in  the 
Bible." — Blood  Atonement,  pp.  13,  14,  16-17. 

As  explained  by  Elder  Penrose,  there  is  a  complete  chain  of 
Biblical  teachings  to  uphold  the  allegations  here  made.  He 
quotes  the  following  passages: 

"  For  it  is  impossible  for  those  who  were  once  enlightened,  and 
have  tasted  of  the  heavenly  gift,  and  were  made  partakers  of  the 
Holy  Ghost,  and  have  tasted  the  good  word  of  God,  and  the  powers 
of  the  world  to  come,  if  they  shall  fall  away,  to  renew  them  again 
unto  repentance ;  seeing  they  crucify  to  themselves  the  Son  of  God 
afresh,  and  put  him  to  an  open  shame"  {Heb.  vi.  4-6).  "For  if 
we  sin  wilfully  after  that  we  have  received  the  knowledge  of  the  truth, 
there  remaineth  no  more  sacrifice  for  sins.  .  .  .  He  that  despised  Moses' 
law  died  without  mercy  under  two  or  three  witnesses :  of  how  much 
sorer  punishment,  suppose  ye,  shall  he  be  thought  worthy,  who  hath 
trodden  under  foot  the  Son  of  God,  and  hath  counted  the  blood  of  the 
covenant,  wherewith  he  was  sanctified,  an  unholy  thing,  and  hath  done 
despite  unto  the  Spirit  of  Grace?"  {Heh.  x.  26,  28-29).  "No  mur- 
derer hath  eternal  life  abiding  in  him"  (/  John  iii.  15).  "If  any 
man  see  his  brother  sin  a  sin  which  is  not  unto  death,  he  shall  ask, 
and  he  shall  give  him  life  for  them  that  sin  not  unto  death.  There 
is  a  sin  unto  death:  I  do  not  say  that  he  shall  pray  for  it.  All 
unrighteousness  is  sin:  and  there  is  a  sin  not  unto  death."  (/  John  v. 
16-17.) 

Although,  as  some  may  argue,  the  "  sin  unto  death  "  mentioned 
in  these  several  connections  may  indicate  such  "moral  sin,"  as 
involves  the  eternal  wrath  of  God,  and  which,  even  in  the  Catho- 
lic Church,  which  claims  the  power  to  forgive  all  sins,  involves 
the  infliction  of  the  severest  penances,  if  there  is  to  be  any  for- 
giveness whatever,  they  do  not  necessarily  involve  the  death  pen- 
alty. It  is  well  to  reflect,  however,  that,  judging  by  the  words, 
"  they  crucify  .  .  .  the  Son  of  God  afresh,"  etc.,  many  com- 
mentators have  concluded  that  "  heresy  "  and  apostasy  were  spe- 
cifically referred  to  —  and  there  is  room  for  some  such  interpre- 
tation—  and  have  made  these  offenses  capital  crimes.  This 
explains  the  persecutions  of  the  Middle  Ages,  the  massacres  of 


THE  ATONEMENT  AND  DUTY  223 

Anabaptists,  Huguenots,  etc.,  the  Inquisition,  John  Calvin's  de- 
struction of  his  friend  Servetus,  and  other  truculent  doings. 
There  have  been  suggestions  also,  although  not  definitely  pro- 
mulgated doctrines,  that  the  ''  martyrdom "  of  the  "  heretic " 
might  mitigate  his  sin  in  the  eyes  of  God.  Some  have  even  stated 
that  the  real  object  of  destroying  heretics  was  to  '*  save  their 
souls."  Although  such  an  interpretation  of  Scripture  may  seem 
"  fantastic,"  it  is  not  inadmissable  to  argue  that  any  fulfilment 
of  the  law  of  God,  even  in  the  matter  of  dealing  with  murderers, 
and  other  criminals,  involves  an  opportunity  for  divine  mercy  to 
act  in  the  world  to  come,  even  though  there  can  be  only  "  jus- 
tice "  here.  This  is  the  teaching  of  Mormon  commentators,  as 
will  be  seen  in  the  following  from  Elder  Penrose's  pamphlet: 

"In  the  ancient  church  of  Christ  some  apostatized,  and  those  who 
came  into  that  church  and  afterwards  fell  away,  became  much  worse 
than  people  who  had  never  tasted  of  the  word  of  God,  nor  of  the 
power  of  the  world  to  come.  The  Apostle  Paul  writes  (/  Cor.  v.  3,  5) 
about  a  gross  sin  that  I  need  not  mention,  but  he  says: 

"  *  For  I  verily,  as  absent  in  body,  but  present  in  spirit,  have  judged 
already,  as  though  I  were  present,  concerning  him  that  hath  done  this 
deed, 

"*To  deliver  such  an  one  unto  Satan  for  the  destruction  of  the 
flesh,  that  the  spirit  may  be  saved  in  the  day  of  the  Lord  Jesus.' 

"I  wonder  how  much  our  modem  Christian  friends  understand  of 
that  doctrine.  Paul  understood  it,  the  Corinthian  saints  understood 
it.  Here  was  a  man  who  came  into  the  church,  received  the  Holy 
Ghost,  was  made  partaker  of  the  heavenly  gift,  had  rejoiced  in  the 
truth,  and  then,  through  temptation  and  wickedness,  he  went  into 
corruption,  violated  the  covenants  he  had  made  to  be  true  and  faith- 
ful to  God  by  ceasing  from  sin,  and  committed  a  gross  transgression 
for  which  he  could  not  have  forgiveness  —  such  a  one  was  to  be 
delivered  unto  Satan  for  the  destruction  of  the  flesh,  that  the  spirit 
might  be  saved  in  the  day  of  the  Lord  Jesus.  Now,  it  seems,  accord- 
ing to  this  doctrine  of  the  Apostle  Paul,  that  if  that  man  was  destroyed 
in  the  flesh  there  would  be  some  chance  for  him  to  be  saved  in  the 
day  of  the  Lord  Jesus.  Why?  Because  he  had  made  as  much  atone- 
ment as  he  possibly  could  for  his  sin.  He  had  given  his  life.  What 
is  life?  The  life  of  the  flesh  is  the  blood.  So  the  scriptures  say. 
He  was  delivered  over  to  the  buffetings  of  Satan  that  he  might  be 
saved  in  the  day  of  the  Lord  Jesus.  This  is  the  same  as  the  doctrine 
taught  by  the  Saviour.  Brigham  Young  understood  it  perfectly.  He 
says  there  are  some  sins  men  may  commit  for  which  they  cannot  get 
forgiveness,  for  which  they  will  have  to  suffer  the  penalty  in  the 
world  to  come,  but  if  their  blood  is  shed  as  an  offering  for  their  sin, 
their  spirits  might  be  saved  in  the  day  of  the  Lord  Jesus;  just  exactly 
as  the  Apostle  Paul  teaches  here,  in  the  text  I  have  read  to  you. 

"But  I  want  to  carry  this  subject  a  little  further.  Suppose  we  grant 
the  position  that  a  murderer  is  worthy  of  death,  and  that  he  is  par- 
ticularly worthy  of  death  if  he  has  been  enlightened  by  the  power 
of  God  and  knows  the  full  extent  of  that  great  transgression  —  sup- 
posing we  admit  that  for  the  sake  of  argument  —  the  next  question  that 


224  THE  REAL  MORMONISM 

arises  is,  Who  is  to  inflict  the  penalty?  What  do  our  Church  laws  say 
on  this  subject.  I  will  refer  you  to  section  xlii  of  the  Book  of  Doc- 
trine and  Covenants,  and  the  eighteenth  verse : 

"'And  now,  behold,  I  speak  unto  the  Church.  Thou  shalt  not  kill; 
and  he  that  kills  shall  not  have  forgiveness  in  this  world,  nor  in  the 
world  to  come. 

"'And,  again,  I  say.  Thou  shalt  not  kill;  but  he  that  killeth  shall 
die.' 

"  Here  is  the  law  of  God  to  the  Church.  You  know  it  is  represented 
abroad  that  the  Latter-day  Saints  believe  in  killing  in  a  great  many 
different  directions.  But  here  is  the  law  of  God  to  the  Church  by 
revelation.  This  is  the  word  of  God  Almighty  to  the  Saints.  This 
law  is  given  to  people  who  have  been  baptized,  who  have  received  the 
Holy  Ghost,  who  have  been  made  partakers  of  the  heavenly  gift  — 
*Thou  shalt  not  kill;  but  he  that  killeth  shall  die.'  But  that  does 
not  answer  the  question,  Who  is  to  inflict  the  penalty?  I  will  refer 
you  to  a  passage  a  little  further  on  in  the  same  revelation  —  section 
xlii,  verse  79: 

"*It  shall  come  to  pass,  that  if  any  persons  among  you  shall  kill, 
they  shall  be  delivered  up  and  dealt  with  according  to  the  laws  of 
the  land;  for  remember  that  he  hath  no  forgiveness,  and  it  shall  be 
proven  according  to  the  laws  of  the  land.'" — Blood  Atonement^  pp. 
22-23,  29-30. 

That  the  foregoing  correctly  represents  the  position  of  Brig- 
ham  Young  upon  the  matter,  in  spite  of  the  garbled  quotations 
from  his  sermons,  and  the  wild  and  unfounded  charges  of  blood- 
shed and  murder  instigated  by  him,  we  may  understand  on  read- 
ing the  whole  of  the  sermons  referred  to.  Then,  we  shall  under- 
stand that  he  was  stating  what  should  be  done,  if  God's  law,  as 
he  understood  it  to  be,  were  in  force,  rather  than  what  he  in- 
tended to  do  himself,  or,  indeed,  had  done.  Thus  he  deplores 
the  fact  that  the  laws  of  the  nations  at  the  present  day  prevent 
the  fulfillment  of  the  righteous  laws  of  God,  which  were  framed 
quite  as  truly  in  mercy,  as  we  have  seen  already,  as  in  justice,  or 
in  way  of  inflicting  vengeance  on  the  sinner.     He  says : 

"The  time  has  been  in  Israel  under  the  law  of  God,  the  celestial 
law,  or  that  which  pertains  to  the  celestial  law,  for  it  is  one  of  the  laws 
of  the  kingdom  where  our  father  dwells,  that  if  a  man  was  found 
guilty  of  adultery,  he  must  have  his  blood  shed.  .  .  . 

"  I  could  refer  you  to  plenty  of  instances  where  men  have  been 
righteously  slain,  in  order  to  atone  for  their  sins.  I  have  seen  scores 
and  hundreds  of  people  for  whom  there  would  have  been  a  chance  (in 
the  last  resurrection  there  will  be)  if  their  lives  had  been  taken  and 
their  blood  spilled  on  the  ground  as  a  smoking  incense  to  the  Almighty, 
but  who  are  now  angels  to  the  devil  until  our  Elder  Brother  Jesus 
Christ  raises  them  up  —  conquers  death,  hell,  and  the  grave.  .  .  .  The 
wickedness  and  ignorance  of  the  nations  forbid  this  principle's  being 
in  full  force,  but  the  time  will  come  when  the  law  of  God  will  be  in 
full  force."— /oMrMo/  of  Discourses,  Vol  IV.  pp.  219,  220. 


CHAPTER  XVII 

THE  DOCTRINES  OF  RESTORATION,   RESURRECTION  AND 
SALVATION 

Although,  in  some  aspects  of  the  matter,  the  strenuous  in- 
sistence on  the  Mosaic  law  of  retributive  justice  might  seem 
needlessly  severe,  it  remains  true  that,  in  dealing  with  human 
nature,  a  law  that  is  all  '*  love  "  and  no  severity  is  no  law  at  all. 
"  Love  "  and  leniency  are  often  confused  with  laxity  and  com- 
placence, with  the  result  that  the  standards  of  right  and  truth 
come  to  be  less  seriously  considered.  We  can  understand  some 
of  this  insistence,  when  we  remember  that  the  Mormon  Church 
represents  a  serious  attempt  to  found  an  order  of  social  righteous- 
ness and  equity.  It  is  also  the  only  one  of  all  so-called  Christian 
bodies  that  includes  this  social  ideal  as  an  essential  element  of 
its  creed.  Various  persons  in  other  bodies  at  the  present  time 
are  doubtless  attempting  to  retrieve  the  historic  neglect  of  this 
branch  of  effort,  and  much  good  work  has  been  begun  in  various 
quarters,  also  there  is,  so  we  are  told,  a  "  general  awakening  of 
the  social  conscience,"  etc.  It  will  be  interesting  information  for 
people  working  along  these  lines  of  effort  to  learn  that  the  Mor- 
mon Prophet  anticipated  their  movement  by  over  three-quarters 
of  a  century,  and  that,  whatever  their  future  success,  he  was 
probably  the  first  man  of  modern  times  to  found  a  stable  and 
equable  social  order  on  a  religious  basis. 

With  the  Mormons,  however,  the  restoration  of  the  Law  is 
only  a  part  of  their  grand  doctrine  of  the  unity  of  the  Gospel 
throughout  all  time.  As  a  corollary  of  this  doctrine,  they  divide 
history  into  seven  separate  periods,  known  as  "  dispensations  " : 
(a)  the  Adamic;  (b)  the  Enochian;  (c)  the  Noachian;  (d)  the 
Abrahamic;  (e)  the  Mosaic;  (f)  the  Dispensation  of  the  Merid- 
ian of  Time,  beginning  with  the  ministry  of  John  the  Baptist 
and  continued  in  the  work  of  Christ  and  His  Apostles;  (g)  the 
Dispensation  of  the  Fulness  of  Times,  consisting  in  the  work  of 
the  Gospel  restored  by  revelation  to  Joseph  Smith,  and  to  con- 
tinue until  the  end  of  the  world. 

The  Dispensation  of  the  Fulness  of  Times  is  charactenzed  by 
a  complete  restoration  of  the  Gospel  after  a  universal  apostasy 

225 


226  THE  REAL  MORMONISM 

of  the  church;  and,  as  such,  is,  in  effect,  a  means  of  preparing 
the  world  for  the  return  of  Christ  as  visible  judge  and  ruler, 
and  for  the  events  preceding  the  "  last  times."  The  Mormons 
are  taught  that,  Hke  the  ancient  Israelites,  they  are  a  "peculiar 
people,"  called  to  a  lofty  and  wonderful  mission  in  the  world. 
This  inspiring  belief,  like  most  of  their  tenets,  is  no  figure  of 
speech,  but  is  accepted  as  a  literal  and  an  essential  fact.  They 
hold  that  it  is  no  strain  upon  revealed  truth  to  believe  that  the 
blood  of  the  "  dispersion  of  Israel,"  the  "  lost  tribes  of  Joseph," 
is  demonstrated  in  those  who  accept  the  "  fulness  of  the  Gospel," 
as  revealed  on  earth  in  these  "  latter  days."  This  is  explained 
by  Orson  F.  Whitney,  as  follows: 

"It  must  be  borne  in  mind,  as  a  basic  fact,  upon  which  to  found 
all  further  argument  or  theory  in  relation  to  the  Saints  (Mormons) 
and  their  religion,  that  they  sincerely  believe  themselves  to  be  liter- 
ally of  the  blood  of  Israel;  children  of  Abraham,  Isaac  and  Jacob, — 
mostly  of  Joseph  through  the  lineage  of  Ephraim.  The  loss  of  their 
tribal  identity,  and  their  scattered  state  among  the  nations  —  whence 
the  Gospel,  they  say,  has  begun  to  gather  them, —  is  explained  to  them 
by  the  Scriptures,  which  declare  that  Ephraim  *hath  mixed  himself 
with  the  people*;  that  is,  with  other  nations,  presumably  from  the 
days  of  the  Assyrian  captivity.  They  believe,  moreover,  that  in  this 
age,  *  The  Dispensation  of  the  Fulness  of  Times,' —  a  figurative  spiritual 
ocean,  into  which  all  past  dispensations  of  divine  power  and  authority 
like  rills  and  rivers  run, —  it  is  the  purpose  of  Jehovah,  the  God  of 
Israel,  to  gather  His  scattered  people  from  their  long  dispersion 
among  the  nations,  and  weld  in  one  vast  chain  the  broken  links  of  the 
fated  house  of  Abraham.  .  .  .  This  gathering  of  Israel,  they  .claim, 
is  a  step  preparatory  to  the  'gathering  together  in  one*  of  'all  things 
in  Christ,'  both  in  heaven  and  on  earth,  as  spoken  of  by  Paul  the 
Apostle. 

"  Israel's  gathering  in  the  *  last  days,'—  the  closing  period  of  our 
planet's  mortal  probation, —  is  a  cardinal  doctrine  of  the  Latter-day 
Saints,  accounting,  as  it  does  for  their  world-wide  proselytism,  the 
wanderings  abroad  of  their  Apostles  and  Elders  in  quest  of  the  seed 
of  Ephraim,  their  fellows,  and  their  migrations  from  the  ends  of  the 
earth  to  the  American  Continent,  believed  by  them  to  be  the  land  of 
Zion.  Upon  this  land,  which  they  hold  to  be  the  inheritance  of  Joseph, 
—  given  him  by  the  Almighty  in  the  blessings  of  Jacob  and  Moses 
(Gen.  xlix.  22-26;  Deut.  xxxiii.  13-17),  and  occupied  for  ages  by  his 
descendants,  the  Nephites  and  Lamanites  (as  recorded  in  the  Book  of 
Mormon), —  is  to  arise  the  latter-day  Zion,  New  Jerusalem,  concerning 
which  so  many  of  the  prophet-poets  of  antiquity  have  sung.  It  was 
for  this  purpose,  say  the  Saints,  that  the  land  was  held  in  reserve,  hid- 
den for  ages  behind  Atlantic's  waves  —  the  wall  of  waters  over  which, 
in  Lehi  and  his  colony,  climbed  Joseph's  *  fruitful  bough.'  Next 
came  the  Gentiles,  with  Columbus  in  their  van,  to  unveil  the^  hidden 
hemisphere;  then  a  Washington,  a  Jefferson  and  other  heaven-inspired 
patriots  to  win  and  maintain  the  liberty  of  the  land, —  a  land  destined 
to  be  *  free  from  bondage.*  And  all  this  that  Zion  might  here  be 
established,  and  the  Lord's  latter-day  work  founded  and  fostered  on 
Columbia's  chosen  soil.    Yes,  these  Latter-day  Saints, —  false  and  fa- 


RESTORATION  AND  SALVATION  227 

natical  as  the  view  may  seem  to  most, —  actually  believe  that  the  greatest 
and  most  liberal  of  earthly  governments,  that  of  the  United  States, 
was  founded  for  the  express  purpose  of  favoring  the  growth  of  what 
the  world  terms  Mormonism.  .  .  . 

"But  the  gathering  of  Israel  is  to  include  the  whole  house  of 
Jacob;  not  merely  the  half -tribes  of  Ephraim  and  Manasseh.  It 
involves  the  restoration  of  the  Jews  and  the  rebuilding  of  old  Jeru- 
salem, prior  to  the  acceptance  by  Judah  of  the  Gospel  and  mission  of 
the  crucified  Messiah;  also  the  return  of  the  lost  Ten  Tribes  from 
the  *  north  country.' "—  History  of  Utah,  Vol.  I,  pp.  66-69. 

This,  like  other  Mormon  doctrines,  is  significant  as  being  a 
wonderfully  ingenious,  even  if  not  a  true  and  authoritative,  solu- 
tion of  the  question  as  to  how  the  promises  of  God  to  Abraham 
and  his  seed  are  apparently  fulfilled,  instead,  for  the  advantage 
of  "  gentiles,"  or  non-Israelites,  who  have  ever  "  despitefuUy 
used  and  persecuted "  the  Chosen  Nation,  which,  meantime, 
seems  to  have  been  literally  "  cut  off."  To  hold  that  all  who 
accept  the  Gospel  in  its  fulness  are  actually  of  the  blood  of 
Abraham,  *'  after  the  flesh,"  through  the  "  dispersion "  of  the 
"  lost  Tribes,"  is  both  inspiring  and  illuminating.  It  follows, 
then,  that  the  "  Chosen  People  of  God  "  are,  after  all,  the  first 
care  with  Him,  and  ever  the  real  heralds  of  His  will  and  law. 
Thus,  the  extensive  and  persistent  missionary  activities  of  this 
people  are  found  to  be  only  movements  to  assist  in  the  gathering 
of  the  Lord's  chosen  from  all  parts  of  the  world. 

But  the  missionary  duty  entailed  upon  believers  in  the  Latter- 
day  Gospel  does  not  stop  with  the  "  dispersion  of  Israel,"  nor 
yet  with  the  nations  of  the  world.  It  achieves  yet  other  heights 
and  depths  in  the  stupendous  doctrine  of  salvation  for  the  dead. 
This  merciful  and  comforting  doctrine  offsets  effectually  the 
hopelessness  of  the  situation  of  those  who  have  died  unrepentant 
or  unconverted.  Nor  does  it  seem  presumptuous  to  hold  that  it 
actually  illustrates  the  "  loving-kindness  "  of  God,  and  justifies 
to  human  reason,  at  least  the  statement  that  *'  God  is  love."  The 
special  application  of  this  doctrine  is  to  two  classes,  (a)  those 
who  lived  when  the  Gospel  "  was  not  in  the  earth,"  and  (b) 
those  who  failed  to  hear  it  truly  preached  in  their  life-time. 

"  From  a  remark  made  in  the  writings  of  the  Apostle  Peter  we  learn 
that  after  the  Messiah  was  put  to  death  in  the  flesh  'he  went  and 
preached  unto  the  spirits  in  prison,  which  sometime  were  disobedient, 
when  once  the  long-suffering  of  God  waited  in  the  days  of  Noah.*  (I 
Pet.  iii.  18,  21.)  During  the  three  days,  then,  that  the  Messiah's  body 
lay  in  the  tomb  at  Jerusalem,  His  spirit  was  in  the  world  of  spirits 
preaching  to  those  who  had  rejected  the  teaching  of  righteous  Noah. 
The  Christian  traditions,  no  less  than  the  scriptures,  hold  that  Christ 
went  into  hell  and  preached  to  those  there  held  in  ward.  Not  only 
is  the  mere  fact  of  Messiah's  going  to  the  spirits  in  prison  stated  in 
the  scriptures,  but  the  purpose  of  His  going  there  is  learned  from  the 
same  source.    *  For  this  cause  was  the  gospel  preached  also  to  them 


228  THE  REAL  MORMONISM 

that  are  dead,  that  they  might  be  judged  according  to  men  in  the  flesh, 
but  live  according  to  God  in  the  spirit.'  (I  Pet.  iv.  6.)  This  mani- 
festly means  that  the  spirits  who  had  once  rejected  the  counsels  of 
God  against  themselves  had  the  gospel  again  presented  to  them  and 
had  the  privilege  of  living  according  to  its  precepts  in  the  spirit  life; 
and  of  being  judged  according  to  men  in  the  flesh,  or  as  men  in  the 
flesh  will  be  judged;  that  is,  according  to  the  degree  of  their  faith- 
fulness to  the  precepts  of  the  gospel.  It  should  be  observed  from 
the  foregoing  scripture  that  even  to  those  who  have  rejected  the  gospel 
in  the  days  of  Noah  it  was  again  presented  by  the  ministry  of  the  Lord 
Jesus  Christ;  upon  which  consideration  the  following  reflection  forces 
itself  upon  the  mind:  viz.  If  the  gospel  is  preached  again  to  those 
who  have  once  rejected  it,  how  much  sooner  will  it  be  presented  to 
those  who  never  heard  it  —  who  lived  in  those  generations  when  neither 
the  gospel  nor  the  authority  to  administer  its  ordinances  were  in  the 
earth.  Seeing  that  those  who  had  rejected  it  had  it  again  preached 
to  them  (after  paying  the  penalty  for  their  disobedience),  surely  those 
who  lived  when  it  was  not  upon  the  earth  or  who,  when  it  was  upon 
the  earth  perished  in  ignorance  of  it,  will  much  sooner  come  to 
salvation. 

"The  manner  in  which  the  ordinances  of  the  gospel  may  be  admin- 
istered to  those  who  have  died  without  having  received  them  is  plainly 
stated  by  Paul.  Writing  to  the  Corinthians  on  the  subject  of  the 
resurrection  —  correcting  those  who  said  there  was  no  resurrection  — 
he  asks :  *  Else  what  shall  they  do  which  are  baptized  for  the  dead, 
if  the  dead  rise  not  at  all?  Why  are  they  then  baptized  for  the  dead?' 
In  this  the  apostle  manifestly  refers  to  the  practice  which  existed 
among  the  Christian  saints  of  the  living  being  baptized  for  the  dead; 
and  argues  from  the  existence  of  that  practice  that  the  dead  must 
rise,  or  why  the  necessity  of  being  baptized  for  them.  This  passage 
of  the  scripture  of  itself  is  sufficient  to  establish  the  fact  that  such  an 
ordinance  as  baptism  for  the  dead  was  known  among  the  ancient 
saints." — B.  H.  Roberts  {Mormonism,  etc.,  50-52). 

The  practice  of  this  doctrine  which  claims  the  same  authority 
as  the  Catholic  doctrine  of  Purgatory,  involves  that  some  living 
believer  shall  be  baptized  as  proxy  for  some  one  of  the  dead, 
either  for  one  from  among  his  or  her  own  ancestors,  or  for  any 
other  person  who  died  without  knowledge  of  the  Gospel  in  its 
fulness.     This  is  explained  by  Elder  Talmage,  as  follows: 

"The  redemption  of  the  dead  will  be  effected  in  strict  accordance 
with  the  law  of  God,  which  is  written  in  justice  and  framed  in  mercy. 
It  is  alike  impossible  for  any  spirit,  in  the  flesh  or  disembodied,  to 
obtain  even  the  promise  of  eternal  glory,  except  on  condition  of 
obedience  to  the  laws  and  ordinances  of  the  gospel.  And,  as  baptism  is 
essential  to  the  salvation  of  the  living,  it  is  likewise  indispensable  to 
the  redemption  of  the  dead.  .  .  .  The  necessity  of  vicarious  work  is 
here  shown, —  the  living  laboring  in  behalf  of  the  dead;  the  children 
doing  for  their  progenitors  what  is  beyond  the  power  of  the  latter  to 
do  for  themselves.  .  .  . 

"The  plan  of  God  provides  that  neither  the  children  nor  the  fathers 
can  alone  be  made  perfect;  and  the  necessary  union  is  effected  through 
baptism  and  associated  ordinances  for  the  dead.  The  manner  in  which 
the  hearts  of  the  children  and  those  of  the  fathers  are  turned  toward 
one  another  is  made  plain  through  these  scriptures.    As  the  children 


RESTORATION  AND  SALVATION  ^229 

learn  that  without  the  aid  of  their  progenitors  they  cannot  attain 
perfection,  assuredly  will  their  hearts  be  opened,  their  faith  will  be 
kindled,  and  good  works  will  be  attempted,  for  the  redemption  of 
their  dead;  and  the  departed,  learning  from  the  ministers  of  the 
gospel  laboring  among  them,  that  they  must  depend  upon  their  children 
as  vicarious  saviours,  will  seek  to  sustain  their  still  mortal  represen- 
tatives with  faith  and  prayer  for  the  perfecting  of  those  labors  of 
love.  ... 

"  The  results  of  such  labors  are  ta  be  left  with  God.  It  is  not  to  be 
supposed  that  by  these  ordinances  (baptism,  laying-on  of  hands  and 
the  'higher  endowments')  the  departed  are  in  any  way  compelled  to 
accept  the  obligation,  nor  that  they  are  in  the  least  hindered  in  the 
exercise  of  their  free  agency.  They  will  accept  or  reject,  according 
to  their  condition  of  humility  or  hostility  in  respect  to  things  divine; 
but  the  work  so  done  for  them  on  earth  will  be  of  avail  when  whole- 
some argument  and  reason  have  shown  them  their  true  position." — 
—  Articles  of  Faith,  pp.  152-156. 

The  ordinances  for  the  dead  are  performed  in  the  temples 
maintained  by  the  Latter-day  Saints,  and  are  frequently  attended 
to  by  persons  known  as  **  temple-workers,"  who  are  regularly 
"  set  apart "  for  this  form  of  service,  although  any  members  of 
the  Church  in  good  standing  may  enter  the  Temple  and  fulfil  the 
ordinances  for  his  deceased  ancestors  and  other  relatives.  The 
work  of  vicarious  baptism  is  always  superintended  by  some  elder, 
who  administers  the  rite,  and  complete  records  are  kept  of  all 
ceremonies,  with  the  names,  or  identities,  of  all  departed  bene- 
ficiaries. 

Roberts,  concluding  a  brief  summary  of  the  doctrine  of  salva- 
tion for  the  dead,  remarks: 

"  There  must  be  a  sealing  and  binding  together  of  all  the  generations 
of  men  until  the  family  of  God  shall  be  perfectly  joined  in  holiest 
bonds  and  ties  of  mutual  affections.  These  ordinances  attended  to  on 
earth  by  the  living,  and  accepted  in  the  spirit  world  by  those  for 
whom  they  are  performed,  will  make  them  a  potent  means  of  salva- 
tion to  the  dead,  and  of  exaltation  to  the  living,  since  the  latter  become 
in  very  deed  *  saviors  upon  Moimt  Zion.'  This  work  that  can  be 
done  for  the  dead  enlarges  one's  views  of  the  gospel  of  Jesus  Christ. 
One  begins  to  see  indeed  that  it  is  the  '  everlasting  gospel ' ;  for  it 
runs  parallel  with  man's  existence  both  in  this  life  and  in  that  which 
is  to  come." — Mormonism,  p.  53. 

Speaking  of  the  twofold  character  of  this  work,  both  in  this 
world  and  in  the  world  of  spirits,  Talmage  writes : 

"How  often  do  we  behold  friends  and  loved  ones,  whom  we  count 
among  earth's  fairest  and  best,  stricken  down  by  the  shafts  of  death, 
seemingly  in  spite  of  the  power  of  faith  and  the  ministrations  of  the 
priesthood  of  God!  Yet  who  of  us  can  tell  but  that  the  spirits  so 
called  away  are  needed  in  labor  of  redemption  beyond,  preaching  per- 
haps the  gospel  to  the  spirits  of  their  forefathers,  while  others  of  the 
same  family  are  officiating  in  a  similar  behalf  on  earth?" — Articles 
of  Faith,  p.  156. 

When  one  considers  the  absurd  and  ignorant  criticisms  made 


5230  THE  REAL  MORMONISM 

on  this  doctrine  by  persons  professing  a  knowledge  of  Scripture, 
it  will  seem  surprising,  doubtless,  that  it  is  a  teaching  of  the 
greatest  vitality,  held  in  the  very  highest  esteem  among  the  Lat- 
ter-day Saints.  It  is  to  them  a  veritable  sacrament  of  grace, 
the  '*  sign  of  a  divine  and  spiritual  grace."  Thus,  instead  of  the 
threats  of  hopeless  perdition  for  those  who  have  not  heard  the 
Gospel  in  this  world,  we  find  that  "  the  hearts  of  the  children  are 
turned  to  the  fathers  "  in  a  very  real  and  inspiring  sense.  The 
following  examples  of  the  vital  character  of  this  beUef  are  sig- 
nificant : 

"  Let  me  ask  those  who  look  upon  Joseph  Smith  as  an  imposter,  why 
should  an  imposter  bother  himself  with  such  a  work  as  the  salvation 
of  the  dead?  Let  the  world  cite  an  instance  of  an  imposter  engaging 
in  such  a  work.  No,  if,  Joseph  Smith  had  been  an  imposter  he  would 
have  devoted  his  time  and  attention  to  the  living.  But  the  redemp- 
tion of  the  dead  was  one  of  the  most  important  parts  of  Joseph  Smith's 
mission.  He  urged  it  strongly  upon  the  Saints,  declaring  that  they 
without  their  dead  could  not  be  made  perfect.  The  Church  has  not 
for  a  single  day  lost  sight  of  this  work.  Temples  have  been  erected 
at  enormous  cost  and  sacrifice  in  which  the  ordinances  necessary  for 
the  redemption  of  the  dead  have  been  and  are  being  performed,  and 
tens  of  thousands  of  dollars  and  years  of  precious  time  have  been 
spent  by  the  Saints  in  searching  for  the  genealogies  of  their  deceased 
relatives,  in  order  that  they  might  become  their  saviors. 

"  One  day  while  in  England  I  met  an  old  gentleman  who  told  me 
he  had  traveled  over  seven  thousand  miles  in  the  hope  that  he  might 
obtain  the  genealogies  of  his  deceased  relatives,  so  that  he  could  per- 
form the  work  for  them  in  the  temple.  For  years  this  old  man  had 
lived  the  life  of  a  sheep  herder,  out  on  the  desert  in  all  kinds  of 
weather,  for  days  alone,  with  not  a  human  being  to  speak  to  him. 
All  this  time  his  thoughts  were  upon  one  thing  —  the  redemption  of 
his  kindred  dead.  The  loneliness  he  endured,  the  hardships  he  suf- 
fered, were  swallowed  up  in  the  joy  he  felt  as  he  looked  forward 
to  the  day  when  he  would  have  sufficient  means  to  enable  him  to  go 
back  to  the  land  of  his  forefathers  to  gather  genealogies.  His  faith- 
ful labors  were  rewarded.  He  obtained  hundreds  of  names,  and  since 
his  return  to  Utah  has  been  working  in  one  of  the  temples,  officiating 
in  behalf  of  his  departed  kindred. 

"Another  case  comes  to  my  remembrance.  It  is  that  of  a  young 
woman  and  her  mother  who  embraced  the  gospel  in  Switzerland  and 
came  to  Utah  a  number  of  years  ago.  For  over  two  years  these 
faithful  souls  lived  almost  on  bread  and  water  in  order  to  save  means 
to  send  back  to  their  native  land  to  pay  for  genealogical  work.  They 
were  rewarded  with  a  record  of  a  thousand  names. 

"  Many  similar  instances  could  be  cited.  It  is  the  testimony  of 
thousands  who  have  embraced  the  Gospel  of  Christ  revealed  through 
Joseph  Smith,  that  just  as  soon  as  they  accepted  the  Gospel,  and  began 
to  partake  of  its  spirit  and  blessings,  just  so  soon  did  their  hearts  turn 
to  their  fathers  who  had  died  without  having  heard  of  the  restoration 
of  the  gospel.  And  in  many  instances  this^  was  the  case  before  the 
converts  had  heard  of  such  a  thing  as  salvation  for  the  dead. 

"  Who  was  it,  I  ask,  that  put  this  spirit  into  the  hearts  of  the  Latter- 
day  Saints?  Who  was  it  that  has  performed  this  wonderful  work  — 
the  turning  of  the  hearts  of  the  fathers  to  the  children,  and  the  hearts 


RESTORATION  AND  SALVATION  231 

of  the  children  to  the  fathers?  Was  it  Joseph  Smith?  No,  it  would 
have  been  impossible  for  Joseph  Smith  or  any  other  man  to  have 
done  such  a  thing.  It  is  the  Lord  who  has  done  it.  It  was  He  who 
devised  the  glorious  plan  of  salvation  for  the  dead.  It  was  He  who 
sent  Elijah  the  prophet  to  Joseph  Smith  with  the  keys  of  this  blessed 
dispensation.  Therefore,  let  His  name  be  praised,  and  at  the  same 
time  let  the  name  of  the  Prophet  Joseph  Smith  be  glorified." —  William 
A.  Morton  {Young  Woman's  Journal,  September,  1913,  pp.  553-554). 

This  doctrine,  coupled  with  that  of  the  "  eternity  of  the  mar- 
riage covenant,"  cannot  fail  to  render  belief  in  a  future  life  un- 
usually real  and  certain.  It  involves  that,  not  only  shall  those 
at  present  alive,  if  faithful  to  the  Gospel,  attain  eternal  life,  but 
also  that  their  family  relations  shall  be  perpetuated  —  the  fathers 
and  mothers  with  their  children  to  all  eternity,  and  the  descend- 
ants with  their  remote  ancestors,  also;  great  families  in  the 
Everlasting  Kingdom.  Whatever  objections  one  may  urge 
against  this  belief,  or  against  the  authority  which  bases  it,  there 
can  be  no  doubt  that  it  represents  as  true  and  inevitable,  under 
the  conditions  specified,  precisely  the  sort  of  immortality  that 
most  people  of  really  human  sentiments  sincerely  hope  may  be 
theirs.  Because,  however,  the  rite  of  eternal  marriage  may  be 
celebrated  only  in  the  temple,  and  at  the  hands  of  the  priesthood 
of  God,  it  follows  that  those  ancestors  who  have  been  made  par- 
takers in  the  benefits  of  Christ's  atonement  through  proxy  bap- 
tism, must  also  be  sealed  by  proxy  in  eternal  marriage,  and  have 
their  children  sealed  to  them  also.  There  can  be  no  doubt  that 
all  this  vastly  enforces  belief  in  the  reality  of  a  future  life,  as 
well  as  of  the  Church's  divine  mission  and  authority  in  this. 

The  doctrine  of  the  condition  of  the  blessed  in  the  eternal  life, 
as  held  in  the  Latter-day  theology  is  an  elaborate  and  inspiring 
one :  moreover,  as  with  very  many  of  the  other  "  Mormon  "  doc- 
trines, it  seems  to  be  founded  on  the  same  implicit  belief  in  the 
literal  truth  of  Scripture  statements,  without  either  evasion  or 
qualification.  Briefly  characterized,  it  may  be  said  to  teach  uni- 
versal salvation,  without  encountering  the  difficulties  of  "  Univer- 
salism,"  and  to  teach  the  eternal  punishment  of  the  finally  repro- 
bate, without  imposing  statements  of  doctrine,  difficult  or  impos- 
sible to  reconcile  with  humanly  intelligible  notions  of  divine  love 
and  justice. 

As  a  prelude  to  the  final  conditions  of  all  mankind,  it  is  taught 
that  there  are  three  separate  resurrections  of  the  dead.  One 
widely  accepted  teaching  on  this  matter  is  thus  set  forth  in  the 
words  of  Parley  P.  Pratt,  who,  contrary  to  the  opinion  ex- 
pressed by  some  other  writers,  believes  that  the  first  resurrection 
is  already  past. 

"The  first  general  resurrection  took  place   in  connection  with  the 

resurrection  of  Jesus  Christ.    This  included  the  Saints  and  Prophets 


232  THE  REAL  MORMONISM 

of  both  hemispheres,  from  Adam  down  to  John  the  Baptist;  or,  in 
other  words,  all  those  who  died  in  Christ  before  His  resurrection. 

"  The  second  will  take  place  in  a  few  years  from  the  present  time, 
and  will  be  immediately  succeeded  by  the  coming  of  Jesus  Christ,  in 
power  and  great  glory,  with  all  His  Saints  and  angels.  This  resur- 
rection will  include  the  Former  and  Latter-day  Saints,  all  those  who 
have  received  the  Gospel  since  the  former  resurrection. 

"The  third  and  last  resurrection  will  take  place  more  than  a  thou- 
sand years  afterwards,  and  will  embrace  all  the  human  family  not 
included  in  the  former  resurrection  or  translations.  .  .  . 

"  In  the  resurrection  which  now  approaches,  and  in  connection  with 
the  glorious  coming  of  Jesus  Christ,  the  earth  will  undergo  a  change 
in  its  physical  features,  climate,  soil,  productions,  and  in  its  political, 
moral  and  spiritual  government. 

"  Its  mountains  will  be  leveled,  its  valleys  exalted,  its  swamps  and 
sickly  places  will  be  drained  and  become  healthy,  while  its  burning 
deserts  and  its  frigid  polar  regions  will  be  redeemed  and  become  tem- 
perate and  fruitful. 

"  Kingcraft  and  priestcraft,  tyranny,  oppression  and  idolatry  will 
be  at  an  end,  darkness  and  ignorance  will  pass  away,  war  will  cease, 
and  the  rule  of  sin  and  sorrow  and  death  will  give  place  to  the  reign 
of  peace  and  truth  and  righteousness. 

"  For  this  reason,  and  to  fulfill  certain  promises  made  to  the  fathers, 
the  Former  and  Latter-day  Saints  included  in  the  two  resurrections, 
and  all  those  translated,  will  then  receive  an  inheritance  on  the  earth, 
and  will  build  upon  and  improve  the  same  for  a  thousand  years." — Key 
to  Theology,  pp.  138-140. 

According  to  the  position  of  individual  souls  in  one  or  another 
of  the  resurrections  here  specified,  the  last  of  which  takes  place 
at  the  end  of  the  world  and  the  beginning  of  eternity,  their  con- 
dition is  determined  in  the  kingdom  of  God.  Here,  also,  as 
indicated  in  I  Corinthians  xv.  40-42,  there  are  grades  of  glory 
and  degrees  of  salvation,  which  are  designated  in  Pauline  phrase 
as  (i)  the  Celestial  Glory;  (2)  the  Terrestrial  Glory;  (3)  the 
Telestial  Glory,  the  last  term  indicating  Paul's  reference  to  the 
"  glory  of  the  stars  " —  the  word,  "  telestial  "  being  derived, 
evidently,  from  the  Greek  word,  telos,  meaning  *'  fleet,"  "  flock," 
etc.,  referring  to  the  vast  number  of  stars. 

The  Celestial  Kingdom  is,  of  course,  the  highest  of  all,  in- 
cluding all  those  of  whom  it  is  said  they  shall  be  "  partakers  in 
the  Divine  Nature"  (II  Peter  i.  4);  "partakers  of  His  holi- 
ness" (Hebrews  xii.  10);  who  shall  "see  Him  as  He  is"  (H 
John  iii.  2)  ;  to  whom  it  is  granted  to  sit  with  Christ  upon  His 
throne  (Revelation  iii.  21) ;  and  who  have  been  made  one  with 
the  Godhead,  even  as  Christ  and  the  Father  are  one  (John  xvii. 
21-23).  These  are  called,  accordingly,  "  gods,"  after  the  author- 
ity of  Christ's  words  in  John  x.  34-36.  The  conditions  requisite 
for  an  inheritance  in  this  "  kingdom  "  are  as  follows : 

"And  again  we  bear  record,  for  we  saw  and  heard,  and  this  is  the 
testimony  of  the  gospel  of  Christ  concerning  them  who  come  forth 


RESTORATION  AND  SALVATION  233 

in  the  resurrection  of  the  just;  they  are  they  who  received  the  tes- 
timony of  Jesus,  and  believed  on  his  name  and  were  baptized  after 
the  manner  of  his  burial,  being  buried  in  the  water  in  his  name,  and 
this  according  to  the  commandment  which  he  has  given,  that  by  keep- 
ing the  commandments  they  might  be  washed  and  cleansed  from  all 
their  sins,  and  receive  the  Holy  Spirit  by  the  laying-on  of  hands 
of  him  who  is  ordained  and  sealed  unto  this  power,  and  who  over- 
come by  faith,  and  are  sealed  by  the  Holy  Spirit  of  promise,  which  the 
Father  sheds  forth  upon  all  who  are  just  and  true.  They  are  they 
who  are  the  church  of  the  first  born.  They  are  they  into  whose  hands 
the  Father  has  given  all  things  —  they  are  they  who  are  Priests  and 
Kings,  who  have  received  of  his  fullness,  and  of  his  glory,  and  are 
Priests  of  the  Most  High,  after  the  order  of  Melchisedek,  which  was 
after  the  order  of  Enoch,  which  was  after  the  order  of  the  Only 
Begotten  Son;  wherefore,  as  it  is  written,  they  are  Gods,  even  the 
sons  of  God  —  wherefore  all  things  are  theirs,  whether  life  or  death, 
or  things  present,  or  things  to  come,  all  are  theirs  and  they  are 
Christ's  and  Christ  is  God's.  And  they  shall  overcome  all  things; 
wherefore  let  no  man  glory  in  man,  but  rather  let  him  glory  in  God, 
who  shall  subdue  all  enemies  under  his  feet  —  these  shall  dwell  in  the 
presence  of  God  and  his  Christ  for  ever  and  ever.  These  are  they 
whom  he  shall  bring  with  him,  when  he  shall  come  in  the  clouds  of 
heaven,  to  reign  on  the  earth  over  his  people.  These  are  they  who 
shall  have  part  in  the  first  resurrection.  These  are  they  who  shall 
come  forth  in  the  resurrection  of  the  just.  These  are  they  who  are 
>.^  come  unto  Mount  Zion,  and  unto  the  city  of  the  living  God,  the 
heavenly  place,  the  holiest  of  all.  These  are  they  who  have  come  to 
an  innumerable  company  of  angels,  to  the  general  assembly  and  church 
of  Enoch,  and  of  the  first  born.  These  are  they  whose  names  are 
written  in  heaven,  where  Christ  and  God  are  the  judge  of  all.  These 
are  they  who  are  just  men  made  perfect  through  Jesus  the  mediator 
of  the  new  covenant,  who  wrought  out  this  perfect  atonement  through 
the  shedding  of  his  own  blood.  These  are  they  whose  bodies  are 
celestial,  whose  glory  is  that  of  the  sun,  even  the  glory  of  God,  the 
highest  of  all." — Doctrine  and  Covenants,  Ixxvi.  51-70. 

The  highest  glories  and  exaltations  are  all  reserved  for  those 
counted  worthy  to  inherit  the  Celestial  glory.  It  is  the  Heaven 
of  the  Blessed  par  excellence,  and  here  all  the  powers  and  capaci- 
ties of  the  human  spirit  shall  receive  the  greatest  development 
of  which  it  is  capable. 

The  Terrestrial  Glory,  which,  according  to  the  understanding 
of  Paul's  words  in  I  Corinthians  xv.,  corresponds  to  the  "  glory 
of  the  moon,"  is  inherited  by  those  who  have  lived  righteously 
without  the  law  of  God  and  by  those  who  have  not  earned  the 
fullest  blessing  by  hearing  the  highest  testimony  under  Law  and 
Gospel  conditions,  as  explained  in  the  following  from  the  same 
revelation  as  quoted  above: 

"And  again,  we  saw  the  terrestrial  world,  and  behold  and  lo,  these 
are  they  who  are  of  the  terrestrial,  whose  glory  differs  from  that  of 
the  church  of  the  first  born,  who  have  received  the  fullness  of  the 
Father,  even  as  that  of  the  moon  diflfers  from  the  sun  in  the  firma- 
ment. Behold,  these  are  they  who  died  without  law,  and  also  those 
who  are  the  spirits  of  men  kept  in  prison,  whom  the  Son  visited,  and 


234  THE  REAL  MORMONISM 

preached  the  gospel  unto  them,  that  they  might  be  judged  according 
to  men  in  the  flesh,  who  received  not  the  testimony  of  Jesus  in  the 
flesh,  but  afterwards  received  it.  These  are  they  who  are  honorable 
men  of  the  earth,  who  were  blinded  by  the  craftiness  of  men.  These 
are  they  who  receive  of  his  glory,  but  not  of  his  fullness.  These  are 
they  who  receive  of  the  presence  of  the  Son,  but  not  of  the  fullness  of 
the  Father;  wherefore  they  are  bodies  terrestrial,  and  not  bodies 
celestial,  and  differ  in  glory  as  the  moon  differs  from  the  sun.  These 
are  they  who  are  not  valiant  in  the  testimony  of  Jesus;  wherefore  they 
obtain  not  the  crown  over  the  kingdom  of  our  God." — Ibid.  71-79. 

The  Telestial  Glory  is  inherited  by  those  who  have  committed 
sins  and  crimes,  not  of  an  unpardonable  description,  and  who 
have  suffered  the  wrath  and  just  punishment  of  God,  '*  until  the 
resurrection,"  as  is  explained  in  the  same  revelation  as  is  quoted 
above,  in  the  following  words : 

"  And  again,  we  saw  the  glory  of  the  telestial,  which  glory  is  that  of 
the  lesser,  even  as  the  glory  of  the  stars  differs  from  that  of  the 
glory  of  the  moon  in  the  firmament.  These  are  they  who  received  not 
the  gospel  of  Christ,  neither  the  testimony  of  Jesus.  These  are  they 
who  deny  not  the  Holy  Spirit.  These  are  they  who  are  thrust  down 
to  hell.  These  are  they  who  shall  not  be  redeemed  from  the  devil, 
until  the  last  resurrection,  until  the  Lord,  even  Christ  the  Lamb  shall 
have  finished  his  work.  These  are  they  who  receive  not  of  his  fullness 
in  the  eternal  world,  but  of  the  Holy  Spirit  through  the  ministra- 
tion of  the  terrestrial;  and  the  terrestrial  through  the  ministration 
of  the  celestial;  and  also  the  telestial  receive  it  of  the  administering 
of  angels  who  are  appointed  to  minister  for  them,  or  who  are  appointed 
to  be  ministering  spirits  for  them,  for  they  shall  be  heirs  of  salvation. 
.  .  .  These  all  are  they  who  will  not  be  gathered  with  the  saints,  to  be 
caught  up  into  the  church  of  the  first  born,  and  received  into  the  cloud. 
These  are  they  who  are  liars,  and  sorcerers,  and  adulterers,  and  whore- 
mongers, and  whosoever  loves  and  makes  a  lie.  These  are  they  who 
suffer  the  wrath  of  God  on  earth.  These  are  they  who  suffer  the 
vengeance  of  eternal  fire.  These  are  they  who  are  cast  down  to  hell  and 
suffer  the  wrath  of  Almighty  God,  until  the  fullness  of  times  when  Christ 
shall  have  subdued  all  enemies  under  his  feet,  and  shall  have  perfected 
his  work,  when  he  shall  deliver  up  the  kingdom,  and  present  it  unto  the 
Father  spotless,  saying  —  I  have  overcome  and  have  trodden  the  wine- 
press alone,  even  the  wine-press  of  the  fierceness  of  the  wrath  of  Al- 
mighty God.— Ibid.  81-S8,  102-107. 

In  all  these  states  which  are  designated  as  "  kingdoms  "  or 
"  glories,"  it  is  understood  that  the  inhabitants  shall  reside  in  a 
state  of  blessedness  and  happiness  to  eternity,  the  divine  element 
in  each  soul  "being  realized  in  life  as  far  as  the  conditions  in 
which  he  has  lived  on  earth  will  permit.  In  other  words,  the 
doctrine  of  salvation  as  here  developed,  is  that  all  mankind  shall 
receive  of  God  "  as  they  are  able."  Howbeit,  only  in  the  Celes- 
tial Kingdom  is  the  direct  presence  and  glory  of  God  to  be  en- 
joyed, and  it  is  confidently  expected  that  all  who  desire  to  live  to 
please  Him  shall  strive  to  earn  this  exaltation.  In  the  other 
kingdoms,  while  the  inhabitants  enjoy  evidences  of  the  love  and 


RESTORATION  AND  SALVATION  235 

mercy  of  God,  through  the  "ministering  of  angels,"  they  are 
not  admitted  to  His  Presence,  nor  do  they  see  Him.  Their 
happiness  is,  therefore,  of  a  lesser  quality  than  that  of  the  Celes- 
tial Kingdom,  and  not  at  all  that  which  the  pious  soul  is  naturally 
moved  to  desire  —  the  presence  and  favor  of  God.  The  Teles- 
tial  world,  composed  of  those,  as  explained,  who  have  committed 
grievous  sins,  "  not  unto  death,"  is  comparable  to  the  somewhat 
merciful  concession  of  mediaeval  theologians,  the  levissima  dam- 
natio,  the  "  easiest  room  in  hell."  Because,  however,  as  specified, 
Christ's  Gospel  is  a  message  of  Salvation,  not  of  condemnation, 
the  "  lightest  degree  of  damnation "  of  mediaeval  theologians, 
appears  here  as  the  "  lowest  grade  of  salvation."  From  the 
point  of  view  of  the  most  ideal  piety,  the  distinction  is  one  of 
terms,  rather  than  of  ideas,  since  the  soul  is  shut  out  from  sight 
of  God,  except  for  the  fact  that  all  men  in  the  Latter-day 
theology  are  considered  to  be  proper  sons  of  God,  and  heirs  of 
life,  unless  irredeemably  rebellious  and  guilty  of  the  sin  which 
"  hath  no  forgiveness,  neither  in  this  world,  neither  in  the  world 
to  come." 

According  to  this  theology,  also,  there  is  a  hell,  and  a  very  real 
one,  reserved  for  the  unpardonable,  irredeemable  and  incor- 
rigible. (Cf.  Jude,  11-13.)  These  are  the  ones  described  and 
specified  in  the  great  revelation  above  quoted,  in  the  following 
words : 

"And  this  we  saw  also,  and  bear  record,  that  an  angel  of  God  who 
was  in  authority  in  the  presence  of  God,  who  rebelled  against  the 
Only  Begotten  Son,  whom  the  Father  loved,  and  who  was  in  the 
bosom  of  the  Father  —  was  thrust  down  from  the  presence  of  God 
and  the  Son,  and  was  called  Perdition,  for  the  heavens  wept  over 
him  —  he  was  Lucifer  a  son  of  the  morning.  And  we  beheld,  and 
lo,  he  is  fallen!  is  fallen!  even  a  son  of  the  morning.  .  .  .  Wherefore 
he  maketh  war  with  the  saints  of  God,  and  encompasses  them  round 
about.  And  we  saw  a  vision  of  the  sufferings  of  those  with  whom 
he  made  war  and  overcame,  for  thus  came  the  voice  of  the  Lord 
unto  us.  Thus  saith  the  Lord,  concerning  all  those  who  know  my 
power,  and  have  been  made  partakers  thereof,  and  suffered  them- 
selves through  the  power  of  the  devil,  to  be  overcome,  and  to  deny 
the  truth  and  defy  my  power  — they  are  they  who  are  the  sons  of 
perdition,  of  whom  I  say  that  it  had  been  better  for  them  never  to 
have  been  born,  for  they  are  vessels  of  wrath,  doomed  to  suffer  the 
wrath  of  God,  with  the  devil  and  his  angels  in  eternity;  concerning 
whom  I  have  said  there  is  no  forgiveness  in  this  world  nor  in  the 
world  to  come,  having  denied  the  Holy  Spirit  after  having  received 
it,  and  having  denied  the  Only  Begotten  Son  of  the  Father  —  having 
crucified  him  unto  themselves,  and  put  him  to  an  open  shame.  These 
are  they  who  shall  go  away  into  the  lake  of  fire  and  brimstone,  with 
the  devil  and  his  angels,  and  the  only  ones  on  whom  the  second  death 
shall  have  any  power;  yea,  verily,  the  only  ones  who  shall  not  be 
redeemed  in  the  due  time  of  the  Lord,  after  the  sufferings  of  his 
wrath;  for  all  the  rest  shall  be  brought  forth  by  the  resurrection  of 


236  THE  REAL  MORMONISM 

the  dead,  through  the  triumph  and  the  glory  of  the  Lamb,  who  was 
slain,  who  was  in  the  bosom  of  the  Father  before  the  worlds  were 
made. 

"And  this  is  the  gospel,  the  glad  tidings  which  the  voice  out  of 
the  heavens  bore  record  unto  us,  that  he  came  into  the  world,  even 
Jesus,  to  be  crucified  for  the  world,  and  to  cleanse  it  from  all  un- 
righteousness; that  through  him  all  might  be  saved  whom  the  Father 
had  put  into  his  power  and  made  by  him,  .  .  .;  wherefore,  he  saves 
all  except  them :  they  shall  go  away  into  everlasting  punishment, 
which  is  eternal  punishment,  to  reign  with  the  devil  and  his  angels 
in  eternity,  where  their  worm  dieth  not,  and  the  fire  is  not  quenched, 
which  is  their  torment;  and  the  end  thereof,  neither  the  place  thereof, 
nor  their  torment  no  man  knows,  neither  was  it  revealed,  neither  is, 
neither  will  be  revealed  unto  man,  except  to  them  who  are  made 
partakers  thereof:  .  .  .  wherefore  the  end,  the  width,  the  height,  the 
depth,  and  the  misery  thereof,  they  understand  not,  neither  any  man 
except  them  who  are  ordained  unto  this  condemnation." — Ibid.  25-27, 
29-42,  44-46,  48. 


IV 

MORMON  MARRIAGE  INSTITUTIONS 

"  The  great  problem  of  humanity  .  .  .  the  development  of  each  individuality  to  its 
highest  possibility.  .  .  .  That  polygamy,  wisely  and  faithfully  practiced,  will  be  a  grand 
factor  in  bringing  to  pass  this  millennium  of  usefulness  and  happiness,  I  sincerely 
believe."— 5«M  Young  Gates. 


CHAPTER  XVIII 

PLURAL  MARRIAGE  AND  THE  POSITION  OF  WOMEN  AMONG  THE 

MORMONS 

The  Mormon  institution  of  polygyny,  or,  as  it  is  preferably 
termed,  "plural  marriage,"  was,  as  we  are  told,  founded  in 
obedience  to  the  commands  of  a  divine  revelation  to  the  Prophet 
Joseph  Smith  about  1832.  Although  this  revelation  was  not 
committed  to  writing  until  over  ten  years  later,  its  principles 
were  imparted  to  several  of  the  Prophet's  close  associates  before 
that  date,  and  its  provisions  were  actually  being  obeyed  by  many 
leaders  of  the  Church  many  years  before  its  formal  promulgation 
in  Utah  in  1852. 

Undoubtedly,  this  institution  is,  and  always  has  been,  the 
sorest  occasion  of  opposition  and  criticism  of  the  Mormon 
Church  and  its  members.  Except  for  it,  the  task  of  appealing 
for  justice  for  them  at  the  bar  of  conscience  would  have  been  un- 
speakably easier:  their  many  excellent  traits  would  undoubtedly 
have  compelled  the  respect  of  fair  and  candid  minds  long  before 
this  date.  It  remains,  however,  for  the  world  in  general  pre- 
cisely what,  as  history  records,  it  was,  in  the  beginning,  to  the 
"  Saints  "  themselves,  a  veritable  "  stone  of  stumbling  and  rock 
of  offence."  Indeed,  if  the  doctrine  and  practice  of  this  "  prin- 
ciple "  were  not  believed  to  be  of  divine  origin,  its  establishment 
must  have  seemed  to  be  the  worst  possible  tactical  blunder  in  the 
leaders  of  a  people,  who  had  already  suffered  as  much  persecu- 
tion as  could  be  possible  in  Nineteenth  Century  America. 

However,  we  find  that  devout  Mormons,  women  as  well  as 
men,  speak  of  plural  marriage  as  a  "holy  order,"  an  eminent 
means  of  blessing,  both  personal  and  social;  something,  in  fact, 
closely  analogous  to  the  several  sacraments  of  traditional  Chris- 
tianity. This  fact  cannot  fail  to  be  a  surprise  to  the  general 
reader.  We  know  that  there  are,  and  have  been,  very  many 
systems  of  religious  teaching,  as  well  as  many  systems  of  civil 
law,  that  have  not  only  "  allowed  "  the  practice  of  polygyny,  or 
polygamy,  but  have  provided  distinctly  for  its  maintenance.  But 
there  is  a  difference  between  merely  asserting  that  it  is  right  for 

239 


240  THE  REAL  MORMONISM 

a  man  to  have  a  plurality  of  wives  and  the  apparent  attribution 
of  a  very  real  form  of  blessedness  to  such  as  take  them,  even 
with  the  authority  of  the  Priesthood  of  God.  The  truth  of  the 
matter  is  that  the  Mormon  estimate  of  this  institution  makes  it 
an  actual  means  of  grace,  an  eminent  instrument  for  the  salva- 
tion of  souls.  Just  as  they  hold  most  strenuously  to  the  doc- 
trine of  salvation  of  the  dead  by  means  of  proxy  baptism,  just 
so,  with  the  belief  in  preexistence,  as  already  explained,  they 
consider  it  an  act  of  eminent  piety  to  provide  for  the  birth  of  a 
human  soul  under  the  fullness  of  Gospel  influences.  That  the 
birth  of  as  many  souls  as  possible  under  such  conditions  will 
hasten  the  redemption  of  humanity,  and  of  the  world,  is  an  evi- 
dent corollary  to  the  high  importance  attached  to  life  on  earth 
in  the  teachings  of  the  Mormon  system.  In  this  aspect  of  the 
matter,  it  is  easy  to  see  how  that  parenthood  could  be  made  to 
assume  the  aspect  of  a  high  virtue,  involving  that  a  person  who 
had  brought  many  souls  into  life  was  entitled  to  honor,  as  an 
instrument  in  God's  hands  in  the  grand  work  of  populating  the 
world  with  a  race,  whose  leading  attribute  is  the  possession  of 
the  divine  Spirit.  Because,  however,  the  child-bearing  capacity 
of  the  average  woman  is  limited,  it  is  evident  that  the  only  avail- 
able means  by  which  a  worthy  man  could  multiply  his  offspring 
would  be  by  taking  to  himself  a  plurality  of  wives.  Nor,  with 
this  aim  in  view,  is  the  usual  cavilling  charge  of  "  sensuality  " 
in  such  a  relation  at  all  well  taken. 

The  doctrine  of  plural  marriage  among  the  Mormons  is  also  a 
part  or  incident  of  a  really  grand  and  impressive  concept,  the 
eternity  of  the  marriage  relation  for  all  such  as  are  joined  and 
"  sealed  "  by  the  authority  of  God's  priesthood.  Not  only  does 
this  doctrine  involve  implicit  belief  in  the  promise  that  "  what- 
soever thou  shalt  bind  on  earth  shall  be  bound  in  heaven  "  ( Matt, 
xvi.  19),  as  applied  to  the  supreme  authority  of  the  Church,  but 
also  that  those  so  married  for  eternity  shall  become  the  pro- 
genitors of  multitudinous  blessed  offspring  in  the  world  to  come. 
They  partake,  therefore,  in  the  creative  function  of  Deity. 
There  is  much  in  such  a  teaching  to  appeal  strongly  to  the  imag- 
ination and  the  sentiments  of  normal  minds. 

The  revelation   embodying  the   doctrine  of   "  Celestial   Mar- 
riage," or  marriage  for  eternity,  is  to  be  found  in  the  Book  of 
Doctrine  and  Covenants,  Section  cxxxii,  bearing  date  July  12, 
1843.    The  crucial  passages  of  this  document  are  as  follows: 
"And  verily  I   say  unto  you,  that  the  conditions  of  this  law  are 
these:  —  All  covenants,  contracts,  bonds,  obligations,  .  .  .  that  are  not 
made,  and  entered  into,  and  sealed,  by  the  Holy  Spirit  of  promise,  of 
him  who  is  anointed,  both  as  well  for  time  and  for  all  eternity,  .  .  . 
whom  I  have  appointed  on  the  earth  to  hold  this  power  (and  I  have 


PLURAL  MARRIAGE  241 

appointed  unto  my  servant  Joseph  to  hold  this  power  in  the  last  days, 
and  there  is  never  but  one  on  the  earth  at  a  time,  on  whom  this  power 
and  the  keys  of  this  priesthood  are  conferred),  are  of  no  efficacy, 
virtue  or  force,  in  and  after  the  resurrection  from  the  dead;  for  all 
contracts  that  are  not  made  unto  this  end,  have  an  end  when  men  are 
dead.  .  .  .  Therefore,  if  a  man  marry  him  a  wife  in  the  world,  and 
he  marry  her  not  by  me,  nor  by  my  word;  and  he  covenant  with  her 
so  long  as  he  is  in  the  world,  and  she  with  him,  their  covenant  and 
marriage  are  not  of  force  when  they  are  dead,  and  when  they  are  out 
of  the  world;  therefore,  they  are  not  bound  by  any  law  when  they  are 
out  of  the  world;  therefore,  when  they  are  out  of  the  world,  they 
neither  marry,  nor  are  given  in  marriage;  but  are  appointed  angels  in 
heaven,  which  angels  are  ministering  servants,  to  minister  for  those 
who  are  worthy  of  a  far  more,  and  an  exceeding,  and  an  eternal  weight 
of  glory;  for  these  angels  did  not  abide  my  law,  therefore  they  cannot 
be  enlarged,  but  remain  separately  and  singly,  without  exaltation,  in 
their  saved  condition,  to  all  eternity,  and  from  henceforth  are  not  gods, 
but  are  angels  of  God,  for  ever  and  ever.  .  .  .  And  again,  verily  I  say 
unto  you,  if  a  man  marry  a  wife  by  my  word,  which  is  my  law,  and 
by  the  new  and  everlasting  covenant,  and  it  is  sealed  unto  them  by  the 
Holy  Spirit  of  promise,  by  him  who  is  anointed,  unto  whom  I  have 
appointed  this  power,  and  the  keys  of  this  Priesthood;  and  it  shall  be 
said  unto  them,  ye  shall  come  forth  in  the  first  resurrection;  and  if 
it  be  after  the  first  resurrection,  in  the  next  resurrection;  and  shall 
inherit  thrones,  kingdoms,  principalities,  and  powers,  dominions,  all 
heights  and  depths  ...  it  shall  be  done  unto  them  in  all  things  what- 
soever my  servant  hath  put  upon  them,  in  time,  and  through  all  eternity, 
and  shall  be  of  full  force  when  they  are  out  of  the  world ;  and  they 
shall  pass  by  the  angels,  and  the  Gods,  which  are  set  there,  to  their  ex- 
altation and  glory  in  all  things,  as  hath  been  sealed  upon  their  heads, 
which  glory  shall  be  a  fullness  and  a  continuation  of  the  seeds  forever 
and  ever.  Then  shall  they  be  Gods,  because  they  have  no  end;  there- 
fore shall  they  be  from  everlasting  to  everlasting,  because  they  continue ; 
then  shall  they  be  above  all,  because  all  things  are  subject  unto  them.  .  ,  . 

"Abraham  received  promises  concerning  his  seed,  and  of  the  fruit  of 
his  loins, —  from  whose  loins  ye  are,  namely,  my  servant  Joseph, —  which 
were  to  continue  so  long  as  they  were  in  the  world;  and  as  touching 
Abraham  and  his  seed,  out  of  the  world  they  should  continue;  both  in 
the  world  and  out  of  the  world  should  they  continue  as  innumerable  as 
the  stars ;  or,  if  ye  were  to  count  the  sand  upon  the  sea  shore,  ye  could 
not  number  them.  This  promise  is  yours,  also,  because  ye  are  of  Abra- 
ham, and  the  promise  was  made  unto  Abraham;  and  by  this  law  are  the 
continuation  of  the  works  of  my  Father,  wherein  he  glorifieth  himself. 
Go  ye,  therefore,  and  do  the  works  of  Abraham ;  enter  ye  into  my  law, 
and  ye  shall  be  saved.  But  if  ye  enter  not  into  my  law  ye  cannot  receive 
the  promise  of  my  Father,  which  he  made  unto  Abraham.  .  .  . 

"  David's  wives  and  concubines  were  given  unto  him,  of  me,  by  the 
hand  of  Nathan,  my  servant,  and  others  of  the  prophets  who  had  the 
keys  of  this  power;  and  in  none  of  these  things  did  he  sin  against  me, 
save  in  the  case  of  Uriah  and  his  wife;  and,  therefore  he  hath  fallen 
from  his  exaltation,  and  received  his  portion;  and  he  shall  not  inherit 
them  out  of  the  world ;  for  I  gave  them  unto  another,  saith  the  Lord.  .  .  . 

*'  And  verily,  verily  I  say  unto  you,  that  whatsoever  you  seal  on  earth, 
shall  be  sealed  in  heaven ;  and  whatsoever  you  bind  on  earth,  in  my  name, 
and  by  my  word,  saith  the  Lord,  it  shall  be  eternally  bound  in  the 


242  THE  REAL  MORMONISM 

heavens ;  .  .  .  and  whosesoever  sins  you  retain  on  earth,  shall  be  retained 
in  heaven.  .  .  . 

"  And  again,  as  pertaining  to  the  law  of  the  Priesthood :  If  any  man 
espouse  a  virgin,  and  desire  to  espouse  another,  and  the  first  give  her 
consent;  and  if  he  espouse  the  second,  and  they  are  virgins,  and  have 
vowed  to  no  other  man,  then  is  he  justified;  he  cannot  commit  adultery, 
for  they  are  given  unto  him;  for  he  cannot  commit  adultery  with  that 
that  belongeth  unto  him  and  to  no  one  else;  and  if  he  have  ten  virgins 
given  unto  him  by  this  law,  he  cannot  commit  adultery,  for  they  belong 
to  him,  and  they  are  given  unto  him,  therefore  is  he  justified." 

It  is  evident  that  the  leading  points  set  forth  in  these  passages 
are:  (i)  that  a  contract  of  marriage  "  for  time  and  for  all  eter- 
nity "  can  be  ratified  only  by  the  authority  of  God's  priesthood, 
which  has  been  restored  in  and  through  Joseph  Smith;  (2)  that 
such  authority  and  promise  was  given  to  the  ancient  patriarchs, 
specifically  to  Abraham;  (3)  that  the  priestly  authority,  vested 
in  the  ancients,  and  restored  in  Joseph  Smith,  can  permit  a 
restoration  of  polygynous  marriages,  also,  as  among  the  patri- 
archs of  old  time;  (4)  that  the  promise  to  Abraham,  "  concerning 
his  seed  ...  as  innumerable  as  the  stars,  ...  is  yours,  also, 
because  ye  are  of  Abraham."  Holding,  as  it  did,  that  the  highest 
evidence  of  God's  blessing  on  earth  lies  in  obeying  the  primeval 
command  to  Adam,  and  begetting  a  numerous  and  godly  off- 
spring, which,  also,  should  continue  to  increase  in  eternity,  this 
teaching  formed  the  basis  of  a  very  real  religious  impulse. 

Quite  apart  from  the  religious  or  moral  significance  of  this 
"  principle,"  there  can  be  no  doubt  that  it  is  a  "  social  phase  " 
of  eminent  interest.  For,  unless  all  indications  are  misleading, 
it  furnished  a  good  working  solution  of  the  so-called  "  sex  prob- 
lem," which  is  a  serious  consideration  in  all  rational  humani- 
tarian minds  not  dominated  by  unreasoning  dogmatic  tradi- 
tions. Such  candid  minds  know  perfectly  well  that  the  many 
grave  questions  involved  in  the  relations  of  the  sexes  must  one 
day  be  met  and  grappled;  also,  that  traditional  notions  have  not 
evidently  contributed  to  any  permanent  solution  of  the  involved 
difficulties.  The  Mormon  solution  presented  several  conspicuous 
advantages  which  will  be  appreciated  by  the  sociologist.  Among 
these  were  specified : 

"  The  right  and  privilege  of  every  honorable  woman  to  be  a  wife  and 
mother,  which  in  monogamy,  under  existing  conditions,  preponderance 
of  women  over  men,  disinclination  of  men  to  marry,  etc.,  was  virtually 
denied:  the  extirpation  of  the  social  evil;  the  production  of  a  healthier 
posterity,  and  the  physical,  mental  and  moral  improvement  of  the  race. 
These  were  among  the  temporal  or  tangible  reasons  put  forth." — O.  F. 
Whitney  (History  of  Utah,  Vol.  I,  p.  212.) 

That  polygyny,  as  practiced  by  the  Mormons,  actually  embodied 
these  very  desirable  advantages  is  a  fact  to  which  competent 
observers  bear  testimony.     That  these  advantages  are  of  a  real 


PLURAL  MARRIAGE  243 

and  universally  intelligible  character,  whether  or  not  secured  by 
polygynous  relations,  can  be  denied  by  no  sociologist  whatever. 
The  assertion  of  the  right  of  every  good  woman  to  the  hallowed 
joys  of  wifehood  and  maternity  is  alone  inestimable.  The  vir- 
tual abrogation  of  this  right  under  prevailing  social  institutions 
has  worked  unmixed  misery  to  multitudes  of  good  women,  and 
is  rapidly  becoming  a  matter  of  prime  gravity  to  society  as  a 
whole.  Both  the  physiologist  and  the  sociologist  know  perfectly 
well  that  with  the  normal  woman  the  supreme  demand  is  for 
maternity,  also  that  a  woman  devoid  of  maternal  instinct  is  a 
sad  and  pitiable  being.  The  constantly  increasing  number  of 
unmarried  women,  particularly  in  America,  indicates  a  condition 
by  no  means  healthy  or  desirable.  Such  women,  often  driven  to 
seek  unnatural  substitutes  for  the  normal  occupations  of  life, 
expend  their  energies  in  the  various  feminist  movements  of  the 
day,  which,  apart  from  any  good  sought  or  achieved,  nurture 
the  common  vice  of  asserting  the  "  cause "  of  woman  against 
man,  thus  merely  complicating  the  sorrows  and  difficulties  of  an 
already  unstable  social  order  by  antagonism  to  nature's  arrange- 
ments, which  is  both  preposterous  and  deplorable.  The  outlook 
for  the  race,  whose  mothers  are  maturing  under  such  an  influ- 
ence, filled  with  the  false  ideas  of  life,  inevitably  derived  from 
those  who  have  not  properly  experienced  it,  must  be  dubious  in- 
deed. It  is  interesting  to  note,  however,  that,  while,  under  Mor- 
mon influences,  women  first  received  the  right  to  vote,  also,  the 
first  impulse  to  combine  in  distinctively  feminine  organizations 
for  charity,  mutual  improvement,  and  other  activities,  there  never 
was  a  "  woman  movement "  among  these  people,  nor  any  agita- 
tion for  the  **  rights  "  of  the  sex,  otherwise,  supposedly,  to  be 
withheld  by  the  "  selfishness  of  men,"  as  the  perverse  expression 
has  it.  Not  only  do  the  women  of  this  people  average  high  in 
all  qualities  classed  as  "  womanly,"  but  they  are,  and  always  have 
been  the  strongest  advocates  of  the  "  plural  order."  Also,  while, 
as  a  rule,  trained  and  educated  to  independence  and  self-reli- 
ance, they  have  maintained  a  nearly  uniform  enthusiasm  for 
home  duties  and  the  training  and  rearing  of  children  that  might 
well  be  advertised  as  '*  worthy  of  all  acceptation."  Mormonism 
has  achieved  the  virtue  of  mutual  confidence  and  cooperation  be- 
tween the  sexes,  and  has  provided  to  avoid  the  monstrous  per- 
versity, commonly  known  as  "  sex-consciousness  "  among  wanton 
agitators. 

As  an  illustration  of  the  grounds  on  which  Bishop  Whitney 
and  others  claim  that  the  practice  of  plural  marriage  operated  to 
"  extirpate  the  social  evil "  the  following  quotation  is  eminently 
suggestive.     In  the  Mormon,  published  in  New  York  City,  March 


244     '  THE  REAL  MORMONISM 

24,   1855,  this  may  be  found  under  the  caption  "  Mormonism 
Revised  " : 

"  The  Boston  Herald  of  the  15th  inst,  under  the  above  heading  has  the 
following :  *  On  Tuesday  morning  last,  Henrietta  Podaf ew,  a  very  little 
woman,  was  brought  before  Judge  Spooner,  in  Cincinnati,  charged  with 
having  attempted  to  force  herself  into  a  permanent  residence  at  the 
houses  of  four  different  married  gentlemen.  It  appears  that  she  had 
been  the  extra  wife  of  each  of  these  gentlemen  for  some  time,  and  has 
two  children  belonging  to  the  quartette,  and  thinking  it  her  right,  she 
sought  to  establish  her  home  in  the  house  of  either  one  of  them;  the 
four  wives  made  a  common  cause  of  it,  and  united  in  a  complaint  against 
Henrietta,  who  was  sent  to  the  county  residence,  provided  by  law  for 
offenders.' 

"The  writer  must  be  wofully  ignorant  of  Mormonism,  or  being  him- 
self a  monogamist,  of  the  kind  specified  in  this  article,  shrinks  from  the 
responsibility  of  his  darling  institution  by  making  Mormonism  his  scape- 
goat. I  would  say  to  him,  'Don't  take  the  advantage,  Mr.  Herald,  of 
Mormon  liberality,  and  ride  to  death  the  free  "  Pegasus."  *  To  show 
the  writer  his  mistake  we  will  compare  his  notes  with  Mormonism,  under 
the  legal  restriction  of  Monogamy. 

"  One  woman  clandestinely  becomes  the  dishonored  wife  of  four  dis- 
honorable men.  Mormonism  unclandestinely  makes  four  women  the 
honored  wives  of  one  honorable  man. 

"  Monogamy  keeps  one  wife  in  the  house,  and  turns  the  rest  out  of 
doors  to  suffer  unsheltered  and  unprotected:  Mormonism  provides  for 
them  all,  and  treats  them  kindly  and  impartially. 

"  Monogamy  floods  society  with  illegitimate  children  having  no  ostensi- 
ble father,  unprotected,  uneducated,  and  unprovided  for:  Mormonism 
requires  that  every  man  shall  provide  for  his  own  offspring,  in  everything 
that  shall  qualify  them  to  become  honorable  men  and  women  in  society. 

"Monogamy  puts  a  Henrietta  in  the  county  jail,  for  claiming  the  sup- 
port of  her  children,  at  the  hands  of  their  father,  and  allows  the  father 
freedom  to  continue  his  clandestine  operations :  Mormonism  allows  the 
right  to  a  mother  to  claim  the  support  of  her  children  at  the  hands  of 
their  father. 

"  Monogamy,  owing  to  its  narrow,  contracted  matrimonial  relations,  on 
the  one  hand,  throws  the  mantle  of  charity  over  adultery,  with  great  mag- 
nanimity :  on  the  other  hand,  Mormonism,  liberal  in  its  matrimonial  rela- 
tion, holds  the  adulterer,  or  adulteress,  to  be  worthy  of  death  (according 
to  the  laws  of  God),  but  owing  to  the  prejudices  of  the  age,  they  are 
cut  off  from  Mormonism,  and  permitted  to  depart  immediately  to  those 
countries,  where  the  results  of  monogamic  laws  make  their  cause  more 
tolerable. 

"  If  this  brief  contrast  meets  the  eye  of  the  writer  in  the  Herald,  he 
will  no  doubt  see  his  mistake,  and,  if  honest,  will  head  his  next  article 
of  like  character,  '  Monogamy  Illustrated,'  instead  of  *  Mormonism  Re- 
vised.' " 

President  John  Taylor  is  quoted  as  speaking  to  precisely  sim- 
ilar effect,  as  follows: 

"You  acknowledge  one  wife  and  her  children;  what  of  your  other 
associations  unacknowledged  ?  We  acknowledge  all  of  our  wives  and  all 
of  our  children :  we  don't  keep  a  few  only  and  turn  the  others  out  as  out- 
casts, to  be  provided  for  by  orphan  asylums,  or  to  turn  out  vagabonds 
on  the  street  to  help  increase  the  fearfully  growing  evil.  Our  actions 
are  all  honest,  open  and  above  board.    We  have  no  gambling  hells,  no 


PLURAL  MARRIAGE  245 

drunkenness,  no  infanticides,  no  houses  of  assignation,  no  prostitutes. 
Our  wives  are  not  afraid  of  our  intrigues  and  debauchery,  nor  are  our 
wives  and  daughters  corrupted  by  designing  and  unprincipled  villains. 
We  believe  in  the  chastity  and  virtue  of  woman,  and  maintain  them. 
There  is  not  to-day  in  the  wide  world  a  place  where  female  honor,  virtue 
and  chastity  are  so  well  protected  as  in  Utah." —  Quoted  in  Utah  and  its 
People,  by  a  Gentile,  (1882). 

This  claim  that  plural  marriage  operates  to  neutralize  the 
social  evil,  which  seems  to  have  been  more  or  less  borne  out  by 
the  testimony  of  numerous  observers,  requires  some  further 
explanation.  The  thought  most  immediately  occurring  to  the 
candid  mind  is  that  this  good  result  followed  from  Mormon- 
ism's  frank  recognition  of  the  facts  of  life,  which  is  only  an- 
other way  of  saying  that  polygny  —  even  if  not  polygamy  —  is 
a  general  practice  among  civilized  and  Christian,  as  well  as 
among  uncivilized  and  heathen  peoples,  and  that  the  sanest  and 
wisest  policy  is  to  recognize  and  justify  it,  rather  than  to  manu- 
facture sin  and  crime  by  foolishly  attempting  to  ignore  nature. 
In  this  particular  the  assumed  revelation  to  Joseph  Smith  is  dig- 
nified by  its  analogy  to  the  consistent  policy  of  the  Mosaic  Law, 
which  made  every  concession  to  human  frailties  and  propensities 
before  decreeing  punishments  that  often  seem  unduly  severe. 
It  may  be  objected  to  this  line  of  reasoning  that  the  wayward 
tendencies,  often  found  in  the  male  human,  should  be  discour- 
aged and  reprobated,  rather  than  considered  in  any  dignified 
light.  An  evident  answer  to  this  must  be  that,  first,  the  facts  of 
life  demand  attention,  rather  than  any  theory  as  to  what  should 
exist,  and,  second,  that  the  evils  of  society  quite  as  frequently 
result  from  attempts  to  achieve  artificial  virtues  as  from  any 
real  native  depravity  of  human  nature  itself.  If  society,  with 
assumed  consistency  to  a  lofty  ideal  of  right,  chooses  to  decree 
that  the  inborn  tendency  of  the  individual  to  beget  his  kind,  in- 
stead of  being  guided  in  proper  and  normal  channels,  by  observ- 
ance of  nature's  decrees,  shall  be  allowed  to  involve  conditions 
that  end  in  social  ostracism,  misery,  disease  and  death,  we  must 
blame  the  stupid  short-sightedness  of  society  for  the  result,  which 
all  right-minded  people  cannot  help  but  deplore.  The  inevitable 
conclusion  must  be  that  prostitution  and  other  orders  of  per- 
versity are  recognized  and  established  institutions  of  society,  also 
that  the  most  wicked  and  abandoned  individual  cannot  be  blamed 
for  all  the  evil  which  he  or  she  commits.  It  cannot  be  ration- 
ally denied  that  the  wisest  policy  is  to  contrive  for  some  method 
of  maintaining  natural  tendencies  on  the  lines  in  which  the 
Creator  evidently  intended  that  they  should  be  expressed,  thus 
avoiding  the  sad  results  of  misuse.  Some  such  idea  as  this  is 
developed  in  the  following  passage,  quoted  by  Mrs.  Helen  Mar 


•246  THE  REAL  MORMONISM 

Whitney,  a  Mormon  writer,  from  a  work  entitled.  History  and 
Philosophy  of  Marriage: 

"*A  woman's  instincts  revolt  against  the  thought  of  a  plurality  of 
husbands,  and  judging  his  feelings  by  her  own,  she  cannot  see  how  a 
man  can  want,  or  at  least  can  love  a  plurality  of  wives.  But,  as  this 
point  involves  a  constitutional  difference  of  sex,  it  is  one  in  which  we 
must  be  aware  that  our  feelings  cannot  guide  us.  A  man  can  never 
know  the  infinite  tenderness  and  the  infinite  patience  of  a  mother's  love, 
except  imperfectly,  by  reason  and  observation.  His  experience  does  not 
teach  him.  His  paternal  love  does  not  resemble  it.  So  a  woman  can 
never  know  the  purity  and  sincerity  of  a  man's  conjugal  love  for  a 
plurality  of  wives,  except  by  similar  observation  and  reason.  Her  con- 
jugal love  is  unlike  it.  Her  love  for  one  man  exhausts  and  absorbs 
her  whole  conjugal  nature:  there  is  no  room  for  more.  And  if  she 
receives  the  truth  that  his  nature  is  capable  of  a  plural  love,  she  must 
attain  it  by  the  use  of  her  reason,  or  admit  it  upon  the  testimony  of  hon- 
est men.' 

"This  is  correct  reasoning  (says  Mrs.  Whitney)  but  I  confess  that 
it  has  been  a  very  great  puzzle  to  me ;  and  only  by  using  my  reasoning 
faculties  and  by  the  testimony  of  my  husband  and  other  honest  men 
could  I  bring  myself  to  admit  it.  But  if  my  life  depended  upon  giving 
a  true  testimony  concerning  my  belief  and  practice  in  the  order  of  plural 
marriage,  I  could  not  now  contradict  these  statements,  but  must  still 
acknowledge  the  truth  of  them. 

"'Great  men  are  always  polygamists  (continues  the  quotation),  .  .  . 
no  matter  under  what  social  system  they  may  live,  .  .  .  even  though  they 
transgress  the  laws  of  ordinary  social  life,  .  .  .  and  it  is  a  shame  and 
a  pity  that  our  social  laws  cannot  be  so  amended,  and  brought  into 
harmony  with  those  of  God  and  nature,  that  our  noblest  men  would  yield 
them  the  most  prompt  obedience.  And  is  it  not  a  sad  pity,  a  burning 
shame,  and  a  fearful  wrong  that  our  laws  are  such  that  men  cannot 
acknowledge  their  mistresses,  and  avow  their  children?  The  wrongs 
of  these  women  and  children  are  crying  to  God  from  the  ground,  and 
he  will  hear  and  judge.  These  great  men  are  brave;  but  they  are  not 
brave  enough.  They  have  no  just  right  to  practice  their  polygamy  in 
in  the  dark.  Let  us  have  either  an  honest  monogamy  or  an  avowed 
polygamy.  Hence  it  is  that  I  am  called  by  the  justice  of  God  and  the 
sufferings  of  humanity  to  appeal  to  every  honorable  sentiment  in  man- 
kind in  behalf  of  a  greater  freedom  to  marry,  and  a  greater  purity  in 
the  marriage  relation.  Let  us  have  such  marriage  laws,  that  whatever 
relations  any  honorable  man  shall  determine  to  form  with  the  opposite 
sex  can  be  honorably  formed  and  honorably  maintained.' " —  Why  We 
Practice  Plural  Marriage,  pp.  50-52. 

Such  a  line  of  reasoning  will  undoubtedly  be  met  with  grave 
and  displeased  objections  by  a  very  large  number  of  readers. 
There  is  no  use,  however,  in  concealing  facts,  for  the  sake  of  up- 
holding even  the  most  attractive  theory,  and,  whatever  may  be 
one's  prejudices  or  predilections,  there  can  be  no  doubt  in  any 
honest  mind  that  an  institution,  ensuring  the  happiness  and  well- 
being  of  as  many  women  and  children  as  possible,  even  if  that 
institution  be  plural  marriage  itself,  is  unspeakably  superior  to 
any  other  whatsoever,  which  does  not  always  contrive  to  pro- 
tect such  persons  from  misery  and  death,  as  the  result  of  sup- 


PLURAL  MARRIAGE  247 

posed  wrongdoing.  When  we  consider  further  that  the  Bible 
contains  not  one  unmistakable  word  in  condemnation  of  plural 
marriage,  it  is  evident  that  "  scriptural  consistency  "  cannot  be 
urged  as  a  valid  argument  against  it. 

It  is  a  sad  and  sickening  comment  on  our  alleged  sense  of 
right  that  any  intelligent  person  can  accept  the  unspeakable  con- 
ditions of  our  present  social  order,  as  inevitable,  and  displays 
the  impudence  to  declare  unrighteous  and  intolerable  any  insti- 
tution that  gives  any  promise  of  neutralizing  these.  Whether, 
or  not,  sins  against  the  august  nature  of  the  procreative  instinct, 
including  the  dreadful  crimes  of  infanticide  and  foeticide,  are 
damnable  in  all  their  phases,  and  whether,  or  not,  they  manifest 
solely  in  detestable  types  of  individuals,  the  fact  remains  that 
they  continue  to  be  committed,  and  that  they  form  already  a 
menace  to  the  life  of  civilization  itself.  This  fact  is  ably  set 
forth  in  the  following  quotation  from  W.  E.  H.  Lecky,  the  Eng- 
lish historian: 

"There  are  two  ends  which  a  moralist  .  .  .  will  especially  regard  — 
the  natural  duty  of  every  man  doing  something  for  the  support  of  the 
child  he  has  called  into  existence,  and  the  preservation  of  the  domestic 
circle  unassailed  and  unpolluted.  The  family  is  the  center  and  the  arche- 
type of  the  state,  and  the  happiness  and  goodness  of  society  are  always 
in  very  great  degree  dependent  upon  the  purity  of  domestic  life.  The 
essentially  exclusive  nature  of  marital  affection,  and  the  natural  desire 
of  every  man  to  be  certain  of  the  paternity  of  the  child  he  supports, 
render  incursions  of  irregular  passions  within  the  domestic  circle  a 
cause  of  extreme  suffering.  Yet  it  would  appear  as  if  the  excessive 
force  of  these  passions  would  render  such  incursions  both  frequent  and 
inevitable. 

"  Under  these  circumstances,  there  has  arisen  in  society  a  figure  which 
is  certainly  the  most  mournful,  and  in  some  respects  the  most  awful, 
upon  which  the  eye  of  the  moralist  can  dwell.  That  unhappy  being 
whose  very  name  is  a  shame  to  speak;  who  counterfeits  with  a  cold 
heart  the  transports  of  affection,  and  submits  herself  as  the  passive 
instrument  of  lust ;  who  is  scorned  and  insulted  as  the  vilest  of  her  sex, 
and  doomed,  for  the  most  part,  to  disease  and  abject  wretchedness  and 
an  early  death,  appears  in  every  age  as  the  perpetual  symbol  of  the 
degradation  and  the  sinfulness  of  man.  Herself  the  supreme  type  of 
vice,  she  is  ultimately  the  most  efficient  guardian  of  virtue.  But  for  her, 
the  unchallenged  purity  of  countless  homes  would  be  polluted,  and  not 
a  few  who,  in  pride  of  their  untempted  chastity,  think  of  her  with  an 
indignant  shudder,  would  have  known  the  agony  of  remorse  and  despair. 
On  that  one  degraded  and  ignoble  form  are  concentrated  the  passions 
that  might  have  filled  the  world  with  shame.  She  remains,  while  creeds 
and  civilizations  rise  and  fall,  the  eternal  priestess  of  humanity,  blasted 
for  the  sins  of  the  people." — History  of  European  Morals,  Vol.  II,  pp. 
284-285. 

If  the  fact  that  a  nominally  Christian  writer  can  thus  enlarge 
upon  any  condition  existing  in  a  social  order  also  nominally 
Christian,  is  tolerable  to  any  person  possessing  one  spark  of 


248  THE  REAL  MORMONISM 

human  sentiment,  there  is  no  more  to  be  said.  What  are  we  to 
say  of  persons,  who,  finding  such  results  involved  in  Christian 
society,  conceive  no  suspicion  that  there  is  something  radically 
wrong  with  our  standards  of  right  and  justice?  In  the  discus- 
sion of  such  a  matter  as  the  present  one,  however,  we  rapidly 
outride  the  limits  of  Mormonism  or  anti-Mormonism,  and  emerge 
upon  a  basis  of  fact  in  which  the  rights  of  mankind  and  the 
stability  of  the  social  order  are  the  paramount  considerations. 
In  this  connection,  therefore,  it  is  proper  to  affirm  that  true 
civilization  must  inevitably  achieve  the  heights  of  intelligence 
and  sanity  in  which  one  form  of  plural  marriage,  polygamy  or 
polygyny  —  call  it  what  one  may  —  shall  be  established  and  en- 
forced: this  is  that  the  father  of  any  child  that  may  be  proved 
to  be  his  shall  be  compelled  to  acknowledge  and  provide  for  it 
and  its  mother,  according  to  the  righteous  statute  of  the  Mosaic 
Law,  "  He  shall  surely  endow  her  to  be  his  wife,  and  shall  not 
put  her  away  all  his  days." 

The  claim  that  Mormon  plural  marriage  was  conducive  to 
"  the  production  of  a  healthier  posterity,  and  the  physical,  mental 
and  moral  improvement  of  the  race"  is  partially  elucidated  in 
the  following  passage  quoted  from  a  capable  and  unbiassed  ob- 
server of  the  workings  of  the  Mormon  system : 

"The  literalism  with  which  the  Mormons  have  interpreted  Scripture 
has  led  them  directly  to  polygamy.  The  texts  promising  to  Abraham  a 
progeny  numerous  as  the  stars  above  or  the  sands  below,  and  that  "in 
his  seed  (a  polygamist)  all  the  families  of  the  earth  shall  be  blessed,'' 
induce  them,  his  descendants,  to  seek  a  similar  blessing.  The  theory  an- 
nouncing that  *  the  man  is  not  without  the  woman,  nor  the  woman  with- 
out the  man,'  is  by  them  interpreted  into  an  absolute  command  that  both 
sexes  shall  marry,  and  that  a  woman  cannot  enter  the  heavenly  kingdom 
without  a  husband  to  introduce  her.  .  .  .  The  *  chaste  and  plural  mar- 
riage,' being  once  legalized,  finds  a  multitude  of  supporters.  The  anti- 
Mormons  declare  that  it  is  at  once  fornication  and  adultery — a  sin  which 
absorbs  all  others.  The  Mormons  point  triumphantly  to  the  austere 
morals  of  their  community,  their  superior  freedom  from  maladive  influ- 
ences, and  the  absence  of  that  uncleanness  and  licentiousness  which  dis- 
tinguish the  cities  of  the  civilized  world.  They  boast  that,  if  it  be  an 
evil,  they  have  at  least  chosen  the  lesser  evil;  that  they  practice  openly 
as  a  virtue  what  others  do  secretly  as  a  sin  —  how  full  is  society  of 
these  latent  Mormons !  —  that  their  plurality  has  abolished  the  necessity 
of  concubinage,  cryptogamy,  contubernium,  celibacy,  marriages  du 
treizieme  arrondissement,  with  their  terrible  consequences,  infanticide, 
and  so  forth ;  that  they  have  removed  their  ways  from  those  *  whose  end 
is  bitter  as  wormwood,  and  sharp  as  a  two-edged  sword.' 

"  There  are  rules  and  regulations  of  Mormonism  —  I  can  not  say 
whether  they  date  from  before  or  after  the  heavenly  command  to  plural- 
ize  —  which  disprove  the  popular  statement  that  such  marriages  are 
made  to  gratify  licentiousness,  and  which  render  polygamy  a  positive 
necessity.  All  sensuality  in  the  married  state  is  strictly  forbidden  beyond 
tJie  requisite   for   insuring  progeny  —  the  practice,   in  fact,  of  Adam 


PLURAL  MARRIAGE  249 

and  Abraham.  During  the  gestation  and  nursing  of  children,  the  strict- 
est continence  on  the  part  of  the  mother  is  required  —  rather  for  a 
hygienic  than  for  a  religious  reason.  The  same  custom  is  practiced  in 
part  by  the  Jews,  and  in  whole  by  some  of  the  noblest  tribes  of  savages ; 
the  splendid  physical  development  of  the  Kaffir  race  in  South  Africa  is 
attributed  by  some  authors  to  a  rule  of  continence  like  that  of  the 
Mormons,  and  to  a  lactation  prolonged  for  two  years.  The  anomaly  of 
such  a  practice  in  the  midst  of  civilization  is  worthy  of  a  place  in 
Balzac's  great  repertory  of  morbid  anatomy:  it  is  only  to  be  equaled  by 
the  exceptional  nature  of  the  Mormon's  position,  his  past  fate  and  his 
future  prospects.  Spartanlike,  the  Faith  wants  a  race  of  warriors, 
and  it  adopts  the  best  means  to  obtain  them." — Richard  F.  Burton 
(City  of  the  Saints,  pp.  427-429). 

To  precisely  similar  import  is  the  following  passage  from 
another  observer,  equally  candid,  unprejudiced  and  careful.  He 
writes : 

"  Physically,  Mormon  plurality  appears  to  me  to  promise  much  of 
the  success  which  Plato  dreamed  of,  and  Utah  about  the  best  nursery 
for  his  soldiers  that  he  could  have  found.  Look  at  the  urchins  that  go 
clattering  about  the  roads,  perched  two  together  on  the  bare  backs  of 
horses,  and  only  a  bit  of  rope  by  way  of  bridle.  Look  at  the  rosy, 
demure  little  girls  that  will  be  their  wives  some  day.  Take  note  of  their 
fathers'  daily  lives,  healthy  outdoor  work.  Go  into  their  homes  and  see 
the  mothers  at  their  work.  .  .  .  And  then  as  you  walk  home  through  one 
of  their  rural  towns  along  the  tree-shaded  streets,  with  water  purling 
along  beside  you  as  you  walk,  and  the  clear  breeze  from  the  hills  blowing 
the  perfume  of  flowers  across  your  path  in  gusts,  with  the  cottage  homes, 
half  smothered  in  blossoming  fruit-trees,  on  either  hand,  and  a  per- 
petual succession  of  gardens, —  then,  I  say,  come  back  and  sit  down,  if 
you  can,  to  call  this  people  *  licentious,'  *  impure,'  '  degraded.'  " —  Phil 
Robinson  {Sinners  and  Saints),  p.  97. 

The  sociologist  can  feel  no  emotion  other  than  real  joy  in 
learning  that  any  sect,  or  body  of  people,  claiming  a  standing  as 
Christians,  has  departed  so  far  from  the  discredited  and  footless 
principle  of  ''  other-worldliness,"  as  actually  to  profess  a  vital 
interest  in  the  improvement  of  the  human  race  —  not  only  soci- 
ally and  morally,  by  strong  organization  and  cooperation  and  a 
consistent  advocacy  of  lofty  principles  of  righteousness,  but  even 
physically,  also  —  by  advocating,  and  enforcing,  so  far  as  is  pos- 
sible, so  sane  and  hygienic  an  order  of  continence  as  that  men- 
tioned by  Mr.  Burton.  That  this  line  of  conduct  is,  and  always 
has  been,  preached  and  advocated  by  Mormon  teachers  and  au- 
thorities, and  followed  to  the  letter  by  the  best  among  them,  is  a 
truth  which  can  not  be  denied  by  any  candid  and  unprejudiced 
investigator. 


CHAPTER  XIX 

WOMAN    UNDER  PLURAL   MARRIAGE 

As  is  familiar  to  anyone  who  has  read  the  current  literature 
on  Mormonism  or  the  **  Mormon  problem,"  so-called,  an  im- 
mense amount  of  unsolicited  sympathy  has  been  lavished  upon 
the  presumed  sufferings  of  Mormon  plural  wives.  The  women 
of  America,  deceived  by  the  false  opinions  circulated  by  biassed 
observers  and  professional  anti-Mormons,  have  frequently 
united  in  petitions  to  Congress,  and  in  movements,  intended  to 
be  benevolent,  with  the  sole  intent  to  deliver  their  "  downtrodden 
sisters  "  from  the  thraldom  of  an  institution,  popularly  classed 
with  slavery  as  the  "  twin  relic  "  of  barbarism.  However,  the 
"  downtrodden  sisters  "  of  Mormondom,  far  from  welcoming,  or 
even  secretly  conniving  at,  any  of  these  well-intentioned  med- 
dlings, on  their  behalf,  have  invariably  protested  as  emphatically 
as  could  be  possible,  bearing  impassioned  and  eloquent  testimony 
to  what,  as  they  assert,  are  the  positive  benefits  of  the  institu- 
tion to  womankind.  Nor  were  these  protests  against  the  efforts 
of  would-be  saviors  uttered  by  women  of  the  so-called  "  lower 
classes,"  they  whose  ignorance  of  life  and  general  dependent  con- 
dition would  render  them  convenient  tools  of  an  "  ambitious  and 
tyrannical  priesthood."  Few,  if  any,  of  these  humble  souls  have 
emerged  from  their  lowly  surroundings  to  "  root "  for  their 
"  priests."  On  the  other  hand,  the  strongest  utterances  of  the 
kind  have  come  from  the  women  of  prominent  families,  who  in 
a  discouragingly  large  percentage  of  cases  have  been  of  the 
highly-educated  and  finely-sensitive  stock  of  the  "best  families 
of  New  England." 

All  this  argues  very  definitely  to  several  evident  conclusions: 
first,  that  the  presumed  religious  basis,  upon  which  rests  the 
institution  of  plural  marriage,  is  really  and  vitally  religious; 
second,  that  the  institution  evidently  involves  actual  and  valuable 
advantages  for  womankind  —  whatever  may  be  the  disadvantages 
—  being  in  no  sense  rooted  in  the  selfishness  and  self-indulgence 
of  man,  as  variously  alleged;  third,  that,  as  shown  by  the  testi- 
monies of  its  women,  the  claims  of  Mormonism  to  restoring 

250 


WOMAN  UNDER  PLURAL  MARRIAGE  251 

woman  to  her  proper  place  in  the  social  order  have  some  elements 
of  justification. 

Among  other  reflections  that  force  themselves  upon  the  candid 
mind  is  that  it  is,  with  the  most  doubtful  propriety  imaginable, 
that  the  male  portion  of  a  community  could  be  credited  with  any 
intelligible  worldly  advantage  from  the  inauguration  of  such  an 
institution  as  plural  marriage.  From  the  point  of  view  of  the 
ordinary  man,  few  prospects  could  be  less  attractive,  or  more 
fraught  with  the  certainty  of  vexation,  than  the  effort  —  unceas- 
ing and  resultless,  if  one  may  judge  from  the  sentiments  of  the 
average  woman  —  to  adjust  and  reconcile  the  conflicting  claims 
and  inevitable  quarrels  of  several  openly-acknowledged  wives. 
Should  the  public  relations  of  any  man  of  ordinary  calibre  with 
several  women  be  primarily  other  than  normal  and  righteous, 
such  interfeminine  disagreements  must  be  seriously  aggravated 
by  his  own  present  feelings  of  preference  or  distaste  in  any  given 
case.  Thus,  the  polygynous  household  must  quickly  disintegrate 
through  satiety,  mutual  quarrels,  and  defections.  That  such  un- 
happy consequences  were  rare  among  Mormons  constitutes  a 
very  strong  and  definite  evidence  that  their  claims  to  religious 
consistency  and  pure,  normal  sentiment  in  these  unions  are 
amply  justified. 

Touching  the  mutual  relations  of  husband  and  wives  in  these 
polygynous  unions,  the  following  from  an  article  by  Mrs.  Susa 
Young  Gates,  a  daughter  of  Brigham  Young,  is  significant: 

"The  statement  that  polygamy  will  make  a  god  of  a  man  argues 
nothing  to  me.  My  frank  opinion  is  that  men  will  necessarily  be  god- 
like who  enter  heaven,  where  will  dwell  woman,  the  purer  and  better 
part  of  humanity.  The  care  of  a  large  family  naturally  increases  a 
man's  anxieties  and  capabilities ;  and  it  is  these  very  forces  which  unite 
to  ennoble  and  elevate  any  man  who  accepts  them  cheerfully  and  fulfills 
them  faithfully. 

"  What  woman's  respect  would  not  deepen  for  the  man  she  saw  guard- 
ing her  own  feelings  tenderly  while  still  gentle  and  kind  to  the  young 
wife  recently  taken  beneath  his  roof ;  who  would  measure  every  act, 
weigh  every  word,  that  no  heart  given  into  his  keeping  might  unneces- 
sarily suffer?  Would  she  not  reverence  the  man  who  sought  to  soothe 
every  heartache  and  bind  up  every  wound  made  by  this  new  order  of 
things?  She  might,  she  certainly  would,  suffer  in  giving  up  a  share  of 
that  time  and  attention  that  had  been  all  her  own,  but  her  love  and 
esteem  would  deepen  for  him  who  had  asked  and  obtained  her  willing 
consent,  and  who  then  helped  her  to  gradually  rise  from  under  Mother 
Eve's  curse,  and  find  that  life  had  also  problems,  aims,  and  paths  for  her 
in  which  to  awaken  and  develop  the  gifts  and  talents  given  her  by  a  wise 
Father.  He,  also  —  would  he  not  find  his  loving  devotion  deepened 
every  hour  for  the  noble  woman  who  had  consented  to  this  thing  that 
they  might  be  spiritually  blessed  thereby  —  seeing  her  kindness,  her  for^ 
bearance,  her  growing  affection  for  the  young  wife,  who,  in  her  turn  was 
sinking  selfishness  in  this  struggle  for  the  highest  and  the  best  —  would 
he  not  feel  that  God  had  blessed  him  above  his  expectations? 


252  THE  REAL  MORMONISM 

"  Nowhere  on  the  face  of  this  wide  earth  is  the  love  of  husbands  for 
their  wives  and  wives  for  their  husbands  so  intense,  so  thrilling,  and  so 
divine  as  it  is  here  in  Utah.  Men  go  by  hundreds  into  prisons,  by  thou- 
sands into  willing  exile,  rather  than  sacrifice  the  hearts  of  their  beloved 
companions.  Women  cheer  them  in  this  determination,  separating  for 
this  life  in  the  glad  hope  of  an  eternal  reunion,  which  no  law,  no  court 
of  public  opinion,  can  ever  deny  them.  To  be  true  in  this  life  through 
trial  and  separation  is  preferred  by  these  faithful  people  to  the  breaking 
of  solemn  covenants. 

"  In  connection  with  this  idea  of  the  undue  exaltation  of  the  husband, 
and  consequent  debasement  of  the  wives,  let  me  offer  an  illustration. 
When  a  body  of  American  people  unite  as  a  State  and  elect  a  Governor, 
they  choose  a  man  because  of  his  honor,  integrity  and  superior  intelli- 
gence. In  the  same  way  Mormon  women  select  a  husband.  The  affec- 
tions of  the  people  twine  around  their  chosen  head,  if  he  is  worthy,  and 
his  presence  is  welcomed  and  courted  everywhere.  It  is  so  with  Mor- 
mon husbands." — Family  Life  Among  the  Mormons,  (North  American 
Review,  March,  1890,  p.  348.) 

While  it  is  necessary  to  a  complete  understanding  of  the  insti- 
tution of  plural  marriage  to  explain  the  religious  basis  upon  which 
it  was  professedly  founded,  this  is  by  no  means  the  most  interest- 
ing phase  of  the  matter  to  the  average  reader.  The  point  of 
greatest  interest,  undoubtedly,  to  such  a  one  is  the  effect  of  the 
practice  upon  the  women  involved,  and  their  opinions  of  its 
operation,  together  with  such  data  on  their  intelligence  and  ex- 
perience, as  would  give  a  clue  to  the  competency  of  their  testi- 
mony, either  for  or  against  the  facts  alleged.  In  the  course  of 
such  an  inquiry  we  shall  discover  frank  acknowledgments  of  the 
fact  that  the  practice  of  the  institution,  at  the  start  at  least,  was  a 
"  burden  grievous  to  be  borne,"  but  nearly  uniformly  the  testi- 
mony follows  that,  having  taken  up  this  cross,  from  a  strong 
sense  of  right  and  duty,  the  ultimate  consequence  was  a  compen- 
sation of  greater  joy  and  peace  than  had  seemed,  otherwise, 
possible.  This  allegation  follows,  of  course,  upon  the  consist- 
ently religious  regard  for  the  institution,  which  alone  served  to 
vitalize  it.  The  Mormon  wife  was  willing,  for  the  sake  of  her 
religion,  to  undergo  the  inevitable  sorrow  of  sharing  the  husband, 
whom  she  loved,  with  yet  other  women,  and  to  battle  with  the 
impulses  of  jealousy  and  resentment,  even  of  an  intrusion  fully 
permitted  and  connived  at.  Whether  such  a  sacrifice  was  neces- 
sary in  them,  or  in  any  other  women  is  immaterial:  it  demon- 
strated the  power  of  religion  to  strengthen  the  human  spirit  for 
patient  suffering,  also,  to  compensate,  with  greater  blessings,  for 
the  things  shared  and  the  sentiments  sacrificed.  It  is  scarcely 
remarkable,  therefore,  that  we  hear  the  familiar  tribute  to  Mor- 
mon wives  — "  the  world  never  saw  such  women  before  " —  quite 
as  though  their  characters,  "  made  perfect  through  suffering," 
displayed  the  glory  of  womanhood  at  its  highest  reach. 


WOMAN  UNDER  PLURAL  MARRIAGE  253 

This  must  be  to  non- Mormon  readers  nearly  the  strangest  thing 
about  the  whole  matter.  Some  of  them  will  undoubtedly  balk  at 
the  story  of  sorrow  and  crosses,  and  forget  the  story  of  the 
"  higher  compensations  "  achieved  through  these.  But  we  must 
not  forget  that  any  effort  to  "  live  religion  "  inevitably  involves 
sacrifice  and  suffering.  Even  with  the  abolishment  of  polygyny, 
or  of  any  other  social  custom,  for  that  matter,  this  law  is  not 
abrogated.  If  from  this  institution  arose  the  only  crosses  ever 
laid  upon  the  back  of  woman,  we  might  well  condemn  it,  but  the 
case  is  far  otherwise.  The  reality  of  religious  conviction  is 
demonstrated  solely  in  its  power,  under  any  or  all  circumstances, 
to  lend  the  ability  to  suffer  and  achieve.  Certainly,  the  Mormon 
wives  and  mothers  suffered  no  more  under  the  regime  of  polyg- 
yny than  at  the  hands  of  their  sectarian  persecutors,  long  before 
such  an  institution  was  dreamed  of  among  them. 

As  a  notable  example  of  the  nearly  mystical  exaltation  in  which 
some  of  the  earlier  Mormon  wives  entered  into  this  "  order,"  the 
testimony  of  Mrs.  Bathsheba  W.  Smith  is  significant.  She 
writes : 

"  Immediately  after  my  marriage,  my  husband,  as  one  of  the  apostles 
of  the  Church,  started  on  a  mission  to  some  of  the  Eastern  States.  .  .  . 
He  returned  in  the  fall;  soon  after  which  we  were  blessed  by  receiving 
our  endowments,  and  were  sealed  under  the  law  of  celestial  marriage.  I 
heard  the  prophet  Joseph  charge  the  twelve  with  the  duty  and  responsi- 
bility of  administering  the  ordinances  of  endowments  and  sealing  for 
the  living  and  the  dead.  ...  I  heard  the  prophet  give  instructions  con- 
cerning plural  marriage;  he  counseled  the  sisters  not  to  trouble  them- 
selves in  consequence  of  it,  that  it  would  be  all  right,  and  the  result 
would  be  for  their  glory  and  exaltation.  .  .  .  Being  thoroughly  con- 
vinced, as  well  as  my  husband,  that  the  doctrine  of  a  plurality  of  wives 
was  from  God,  and  having  a  fixed  determination  to  attain  to  celestial 
glory,  I  felt  to  embrace  the  whole  Gospel,  and  believing  that  it  was  for 
my  husband's  exaltation  that  he  should  obey  the  revelation  on  celestial 
marriage,  that  he  might  attain  to  kingdoms,  thrones,  principalities  and 
powers,  firmly  believing  that  I  should  participate  with  him  in  all  his 
blessings,  glory  and  honor ;  accordingly,  within  the  last  year,  like  Sarah 
of  old,  I  had  given  to  my  husband  five  wives,  good,  virtuous,  honorable 
young  women.  They  all  had  their  home  with  us;  I  being  proud  of  my 
husband,  and  loving  him  very  much,  knowing  him  to  be  a  man  of  God, 
and  believing  he  would  not  love  them  less  because  he  loved  me  more  for 
doing  this.  I  had  joy  in  having  a  testimony  that  what  I  had  done  was 
acceptable  to  my  Father  in  Heaven." — The  Women  of  Mormondom, 
{Tullidge),  pp.  319-321. 

The  testimony  of  Mrs.  Smith,  who  was,  if  we  may  judge  from 
her  record,  as  noble  and  thoroughly  Christian  soul  as  ever  lived, 
introduces  wifely  devotion  in  a  new  and  strange  light.  What- 
ever may  have  been  her  pangs  when,  "  like  Sarah  of  old,"  she  gave 
her  husband  "  five  wives,  good,  virtuous,  honorable  young  women," 
she  has  nothing  to  say  about  them.    Evidently,  the  doctrine  of 


254  THE  REAL  MORMONISM 

eternal  marriage  afforded  her  some  valuable  consolations,  as  re- 
gards the  next  world  and  its  glories,  as  a  partial  compensation,  at 
least,  for  her  sorrows  and  sacrifices  —  if  she  so  viewed  them  — 
in  this. 

Quite  as  affecting  is  the  fervid  testimony  of  Phoebe  Carter 
Woodruff,  the  first  wife  of  President  Wilford  Woodruff,  who 
also  accepted  the  plural  **  order,"  and  gave  her  husband  several 
other  wives.     She  is  quoted  as  follows : 

"When  the  principle  of  polygamy  was  first  taught  I  thought  it  the 
most  wicked  thing  I  ever  heard  of ;  consequently  I  opposed  it  to  the  best 
of  my  ability,  until  I  became  ill  and  wretched.  As  soon,  however,  as  I 
became  convinced  that  it  originated  as  a  revelation  from  God  through 
Joseph,  and  knowing  him  to  be  a  prophet,  I  wrestled  with  my  Heavenly 
Father  in  fervent  prayer,  to  be  guided  aright  at  that  all-important  mo- 
ment of  my  life.  The  answer  came.  Peace  was  given  to  my  mind.  I 
knew  it  was  the  will  of  God;  and  from  that  time  to  the  present  I  have 
faithfully  sought  to  honor  the  patriarchal  law. 

"  Of  Joseph  my  testimony  is  that  he  was  one  of  the  greatest  prophets 
the  Lord  ever  called;  that  he  lived  for  the  redemption  of  mankind,  and 
died  a  martyr  for  the  truth.  The  love  of  the  Saints  for  him  will  never 
die.  ...  Of  my  husband  I  can  truly  say,  I  have  found  him  a  worthy 
man,  with  scarcely  his  equal  on  earth.  .  .  .  He  has  been  faithful  to  God 
and  his  family  every  day  of  his  life.  My  respect  for  him  has  increased 
with  our  years,  and  my  desire  for  an  eternal  union  with  him  will  be  the 
last  wish  of  my  mortal  life." — Ibid.,  pp.  413-414. 

No  one  could  possibly  believe  that  such  a  tribute  to  a  husband, 
as  closes  this  quotation,  could  have  been  made  by  a  noble  and 
intelligent  woman,  unless  their  relations,  in  the  plural  order,  had 
been  in  all  particulars,  both  inspiring  and  exemplary.  It  is  evi- 
dent that  this  Mormon  institution  is  valuable  in  teaching  us  some 
new  and  surprising  facts  about  human  nature  and  its  capabilities. 
Nor  were  Mrs.  Woodruff's  expressions  of  devotion  confined  to 
the  mystical  anticipations  of  bliss  in  the  life  to  come.  In  1870,  on 
the  occasion  of  a  mass  meeting  of  women,  called  to  protest  against 
the  proposed  provisions  of  the  Cullom  bill,  she  spoke  as  follows : 

"  Whatever  may  be  the  final  result  of  the  action  of  Congress  in  passing 
or  enforcing  oppressive  laws,  for  the  sake  of  our  religion,  upon  the  noble 
men  who  have  subdued  these  deserts,  it  is  our  duty  to  stand  by  them  and 
support  them  by  our  faith,  prayers  and  works,  through  every  dark  hour, 
unto  the  end,  and  trust  in  the  God  of  Abraham,  Isaac  and  Jacob  to  de- 
fend us  and  all  who  are  called  to  suffer  for  keeping  the  commandments 
of  God.  Shall  we,  as  wives  and  mothers,  sit  still  and  see  our  husbands 
and  sons,  whom  we  know  are  obeying  the  highest  behest  of  heaven, 
suffer  for  their  religion,  without  exerting  ourselves  to  the  extent  of  our 
power  for  their  deliverance?  No;  verily  no!  God  has  revealed  unto 
lis  the  law  of  the  patriarchal  order  of  marriage,  and  commanded  us  to 
obey  it.  We  are  sealed  to  our  husbands  for  time  and  eternity,  that  we 
may  dwell  with  them  and  our  children  in  the  world  to  come ;  which  guar- 
antees unto  us  the  greatest  blessings  for  which  we  were  created.  If  the 
rulers  of  this  nation  will  so  far  depart  from  the  spirit  and  letter  of  our 
glorious  constitution  as  to  deprive  our  prophets,  apostles  and  leaders  of 


WOMAN  UNDER  PLURAL  MARRIAGE  255 

citizenship,  and  imprison  them  for  obeying  this  law,  let  them  grant  this, 
our  last  request,  to  make  their  prisons  large  enough  to  hold  their  wives, 
for  where  they  go  we  will  go  also." — Ibid.,  p.  400. 

On  the  same  occasion,  Mrs.  Hannah  T.  King,  also  speaking  of 
the  proposed  provisions  of  the  Cullom  bill,  spoke  as  follows : 

"  Who,  or  what,  is  the  creature  who  framed  this  incomparable  docu- 
ment? .  .  .  What  isolated  land  produced  him?  What  ideas  he  must  have 
of  women !  Had  he  ever  a  mother,  a  wife,  or  a  sister  ?  In  what  academy 
was  he  tutored,  or  to  what  school  does  he  belong,  that  he  so  coolly  and 
systematically  commands  the  women  of  this  people  to  turn  traitors  to 
their  husbands,  their  brothers  and  their  sons?  .  .  .  Let  us,  the  women 
of  this  people  —  the  sisterhood  of  Utah  —  rise  en  masse,  and  tell  this 
non-descript  to  defer  'the  bill'  until  he  has  studied  the  character  of 
woman,  such  as  God  intended  she  should  be;  then  he  will  discover  that 
devotion,  veneration  and  faithfulness  are  her  peculiar  attributes;  that 
God  is  her  refuge,  and  his  servants  her  oracles;  and  that,  especially, 
the  women  of  Utah  have  paid  too  high  for  their  present  position,  their 
present  light  and  knowledge,  and  their  noble  future,  to  succumb  to  so 
mean  and  foul  a  thing  as  Baskin,  Cullom  &  Go's  bill.  Let  him  learn 
that  they  are  one  in  heart,  hand  and  brain,  with  the  brotherhood  of  Utah 
—  that  God  is  their  father  and  their  friend  —  that  into  his  hand  they 
commit  their  cause." — Ibid.,  pp.  398-399. 

Among  further  accounts  of  the  personal  experiences  of  Mor- 
mon wives  under  the  regime  of  plural  marriage,  the  testimony  of 
Mrs.  Mary  A.  Freeze  bears  unmistakable  evidence  of  true  con- 
viction.    She  writes : 

"  In  the  spring  of  1871,  my  husband,  a  faithful  man,  desirous  of  keep- 
ing all  the  commandments  of  God,  saw  fit,  with  my  full  consent,  to  take 
to  himself  another  of  the  daughters  of  Eve,  a  good  and  worthy  girl, 
Jane  Granter  by  name.  It  tried  my  spirit  to  the  utmost  endurance,  but 
I  always  believed  the  principle  to  be  true,  and  felt  that  it  was  time  we 
obey  that  sacred  order.  The  Lord  knew  my  heart  and  desires,  and  was 
with  me  to  overcome  the  selfishness  and  jealousy  of  my  nature.  With 
his  help,  added  to  the  great  kindness  of  my  husband,  who  has  ever  stood 
at  the  head  of  his  family  as  a  wise  and  just  man,  I  soon  obtained 
peace.  .  .  . 

"  My  husband  has  since  taken  two  other  wives,  and  I  praise  the  Lord 
that  I  have  so  far  overcome,  that  instead  of  feeling  it  to  be  a  trial,  it 
has  been  a  source  of  joy  and  pride  that  we  were  counted  worthy  to  have 
such  noble  girls  enter  our  family.  The  two  last  were  my  counselors  in 
the  Young  Ladies'  Mutual  Improvement  Association  of  our  ward.  I 
have  loved  the  wives  of  my  husband  as  I  would  have  my  own  sisters, 
realizing  that  the  power  of  the  Holy  Priesthood  that  has  bound  us  to- 
gether for  time  and  eternity  is  stronger  than  kindred  ties.  Sophia  lived 
with  me  nearly  seven  years;  she  died  December,  1879,  which  was  one 
of  the  greatest  trials  of  my  life.  I  could  as  willingly  have  parted  with 
one  of  my  own  daughters.  She  left  me  a  beautiful  boy  who  seems  as 
near  to  me  as  my  own.  I  wish  to  bear  testimony  to  my  descendants, 
and  to  all  who  may  read  this  sketch,  that  I  know  by  the  power  of  the 
Holy  Ghost  which  bears  testimony  to  my  spirit,  that  the  Patriarchal  Or- 
der of  Marriage  is  from  God,  and  was  revealed  for  the  exaltation  of 
the  human  family,  also  that  I  have  had  peace,  joy  and  satisfaction  in 
living  in  that  Order  such  as  I  had  never  known  before;  and  have  had 
many  proofs  that  God  will  pour  out  his  blessings  upon  those  who  keep 


256  THE  REAL  MORMONISM 

his  laws,  seeking  him  yvith  full  purpose  of  heart,  for  he  will  be  sought 
after  by  his  children. —  Representative  Women  of  Deseret,  {Augusta 
Joyce  Crocheron) ,  p.  54. 

In  similar  vein  we  find  the  testimony  of  Mrs.  Louis  Felt,  who 
has  been  for  many  years  president  of  the  Primary  Associations 
of  the  Mormon  Church.     She  writes : 

"  I  became  a  member  of  the  Young  Ladies'  Mutual  Improvement  As- 
sociation, and  thereby  received  a  better  understanding  of  my  religion, 
which  brought  me  peace  and  happiness,  such  as  I  had  never  known  be- 
fore. I  also  became  thoroughly  convinced  of  the  truth  of  the  principle 
of  celestial  marriage,  and  having  no  children  of  my  own  was  very  de- 
sirous that  my  husband  should  take  other  wives  that  he  might  have  a 
posterity  to  do  him  honor,  and  after  he  took  another  wife  and  had  chil- 
dren born  to  him,  the  Lord  gave  me  a  mother's  love  for  them;  they 
seemed  as  if  they  were  indeed  my  own,  and  they  seem  to  have  the  same 
love  for  me  that  they  do  for  their  own  mother." — Ibid.,  p.  58. 

To  this  testimony  Mrs.  Crocheron  adds  the  following  comment, 
which  seems  worthy  repetition : 

"  I  have  seen  the  real  mother  in  this  family  rocking  her  babe  to  sleep, 
and  the  other  mother  —  Louie  —  would  sit  beside  her  and  hold  one  little 
hand,  or  lay  her  own  upon  its  little  head,  and  it  would  quietly  resign  itself 
to  sleep,  so  closely  were  all  these  three  true  hearts  united  in  love." 

Mrs.  Felt's  experience,  which  must  seem  nearly  unique  to  the 
non-Mormon  reader,  is  undoubtedly  true  and  certainly  adds  ma- 
terially to  the  evidence  already  cited,  that  polygynous  marriage 
may  present  opportunities  for  valuable  unsuspected  consolations, 
also  for  the  propagation  of  unfamiliar  and  noble  forms  of  virtue. 
When  we  consider  that  every  one  of  the  women  giving  these 
testimonies  belongs  to  the  intelligent  and  self-respecting  class,  and 
are,  one  and  all,  persons  of  the  highest  character,  each  of  them  a 
recognized  leader  among  her  fellows,  the  conclusion  is  inevitable 
that  we  have  here  records  of  actual  experiences  and  honest  con- 
victions. In  considering  the  sorrows  and  trials,  to  which  they 
confess,  it  must  be  carefully  remembered  that  such  experiences 
are  by  no  means  peculiar  to  a  polygynous  order  of  marriage,  also, 
that  the  real  issue  is  precisely  on  the  question  as  to  how  far  insti- 
tutions claiming  religious  authority  should  be  allowed  to  control 
human  behavior  and  to  neutralize  the  selfishness  and  other  short- 
comings of  the  "  natural  man,"  for  the  sake,  either,  of  real  ad- 
vantages to  humanity  at  large,  or  the  attainment,  as  believed,  of 
higher  blessings  in  the  world  to  come.  We  hear  a  great  deal  of 
talk  about  the  virtue  of  self-denial,  but  when  we  see  an  eminent 
example  of  it,  we  complain  and  condemn.  So,  we  do  not  want 
self-denial,  after  all. 

The  peaceful,  even  loving,  cohabitation  and  association  of 
plural  wives  was  an  experience  sufficiently  common  to  be  called 
*'  the  rule."     Many  tales  of  this  are  told,  both  by  the  wives  them- 


WOMAN  UNDER  PLURAL  MARRIAGE  257 

selves,  and  also  by  first-hand  observers.  The  following  quotation 
from  the  account  written  by  Mrs.  Sarah  A.  Peterson,  is  unusually 
interesting  in  this  connection  : 

"  In  the  fall  of  1857  my  husband  added  another  wife  to  his  family ;  but 
I  can  truly  say  that  he  did  not  do  so  without  my  consent,  nor  with  any 
other  motive  than  to  serve  his  God.  I  felt  it  our  duty  to  obey  the  com- 
mandment revealed  through  the  prophet  Joseph,  hence,  although  I  felt  it 
to  be  quite  a  sacrifice,  I  encouraged  him  in  so  doing.  Although  not  so 
very  well  supplied  with  house-room,  the  second  wife  and  I  lived  together 
in  harmony  and  peace.  I  felt  it  a  pleasure  to  be  in  her  company,  and 
even  to  nurse  and  take  care  of  her  children,  and  she  felt  the  same  way 
toward  me  and  my  children.  A  few  years  afterwards  my  husband  mar- 
ried another  wife,  but  also  with  the  consent  and  encouragement  of  his 
family.  This  did  not  disturb  the  peaceful  relations  of  our  home,  but 
the  same  kind  feelings  were  entertained  by  each  member  of  the  family 
to  one  another.  We  have  now  lived  in  polygamy  twenty  years,  have 
eaten  at  the  same  table  and  raised  our  children  together,  and  have  never 
been  separated,  nor  have  we  ever  wished  to  be." — Women  of  Mor- 
mondom,  p.  467. 

Mrs.  Elizabeth  Birch  writes  with  similar  conviction  and  effect : 
"  In  1858,  my  husband  having  become  convinced  that  the  doctrine  of 
celestial  marriage  and  the  plurality  of  wives  was  true,  instructed  me  in 
regard  to  it;  and  becoming  entirely  convinced  that  the  principle  is  not 
only  true,  but  that  it  is  commanded,  I  gave  my  consent  to  his  taking  an- 
other wife,  by  whom  he  had  one  daughter ;  and  again  in  i860  I  consented 
to  his  taking  another  one,  by  whom  he  had  a  large  family  of  children. 
These  children  we  have  raised  together,  and  I  love  them  as  if  they  were 
my  own.  Our  husband  has  been  dead  two  years,  but  we  still  live  together 
in  peace,  and  each  contributes  to  the  utmost  for  the  support  of  the 
family." — Ibid.,  pp.  470-471. 

In  addition  to  these  accounts  of  personal  experiences,  we  find 
that  the  women  of  Mormondom  were  completely  convinced  that 
the  institution  of  plural  marriage  was  an  eminent  means  of  beget- 
ting a  noble  posterity.  Nor  can  there  be  the  slightest  doubt  that 
the  basis  of  this  judgment  was  the  sane  and  exemplary  continence 
mentioned  by  Mr.  Burton.  In  reading  these  testimonies  the 
conclusion  is  inevitable  that  in  them  we  have  to  do  with  pure  and 
noble  women,  whose  highest  worldly  aspiration  was  to  become  the 
mothers  of  a  perfected  humanity.  In  these  days,  after  the 
"  righteous  wrath  '*  of  the  American  people  has  succeeded  in  sup- 
pressing plural  marriage  as  an  institution  of  society,  it  is  a 
familiar  experience  to  hear  the  lament,  "  Why  could  they  not  have 
left  us  alone?  We  were  hoping  to  beget  the  noblest  and  best 
race  of  people  that  ever  lived  on  earth."  In  harmony  with  these 
convictions  we  find  the  testimony  of  Mrs.  Zina  D.  Young,  a  wife 
of  President  Brigham  Young,  and  one  of  the  reputed  widows  of 
the  Prophet  Joseph  Smith.  On  the  occasion  of  one  of  the  several 
mass  meetings  of  women,  held  in  Salt  Lake  City,  Nov.  16,  1878, 
she  Spoke  as  follows : 


258  THE  REAL  MORMONISM 

"The  principle  of  our  religion  that  is  assailed  is  one  that  lies  deep 
in  my  heart.  Could  I  ask  the  heavens  to  listen ;  could  I  beseech  the  earth 
to  be  still,  and  the  brave  men  who  possess  the  spirit  of  a  Washington  to 
hear  what  I  am  about  to  say.  .  .  .  Would  that  ...  the  Congress  of  the 
United  States,  the  lawmakers  of  our  nation  could  produce  a  balm  for 
the  many  evils  which  exist  in  our  land  through  the  abuse  of  virtue,  or 
could  so  legislate  that  virtue  could  be  protected  and  cherished  as  the 
life  which  heaven  has  given  us.  We,  in  common  with  many  women 
throughout  our  broad  land,  would  hail  with  joy  the  approach  of  such  de- 
liverance, for  such  is  the  deliverance  that  woman  needs.  The  principle 
of  plural  marriage  is  honorable;  it  is  a  principle  of  the  Gods;  it  is  heaven 
born.  God  revealed  it  to  us  as  a  saving  principle ;  we  have  accepted  it 
as  such,  and  we  know  that  it  is  of  him,  for  the  fruits  of  it  are  holy.  .  .  . 
We  are  proud  of  the  principle,  because  we  know  its  true  worth,  and  we 
want  our  children  to  practice  it,  that  through  us  a  race  of  men  and  women 
may  grow  up  possessing  sound  minds  and  bodies,  who  shall  live  to  the 
age  of  a  tree." 

In  similar  vein  the  noted  poetess,  Eliza  R.  Snow,  known  as 
Mormonism's  "  high  priestess,"  and  another  of  the  Prophet's 
plural  wives,  defends  the  institution,  as  follows : 

"I  believe  in  the  principle  of  plural  marriage  just  as  sacredly  as  I 
believe  in  any  other  institution  which  God  has  revealed.  I  believe  it  to 
be  necessary  for  the  redemption  of  mankind  from  the  low  state  of  cor- 
ruption into  which  it  has  sunken.  .  .  .  Virtue  is  the  foundation  of  the 
prosperity  of  any  nation;  and  this  sacred  principle  of  plural  marriage 
tends  to  virtue,  purity  and  holiness." 

The  strangest  thing  about  the  whole  doctrine  and  practice  of 
plural  marriage  will  probably  seem  the  fact  that  it  is  seriously 
recommended  as  the  best  means,  ever  made  available,  for  the 
complete  elevation  of  woman.  This  claim  is  set  forth  by  Mrs. 
Gates,  in  the  article  already  quoted : 

"  Statistics  will  bear  me  out  in  saying  that  there  are  fewer  paupers, 
fewer  criminals,  fewer  insane  among  polygamous  than  among  monoga- 
mous families.  It  is  a  well-known  fact  here  in  Utah  that  there  are 
fewer  physical  defects  and  greater  intelligence  in  plural  homes  than  in 
the  same  grade  or  class  of  monogamy. 

"  The  Mormon  women  are  working  grandly  on  the  sex  problem  of  the 
nineteenth  century.  They  are  beginning  to  move  out  on  independent 
lines  of  business,  of  art,  and  of  the  professions.  Their  marital  relations 
make  this  an  easy  matter.  The  woman  will  always  be  the  head  and 
genius  of  the  home,  but  whether  it  is  a  corollary  that  she  shall  forever 
wash  dishes  and  scrub  floors  has  become  a  grave  question.  The  rapid 
progress  of  the  age  finds  ready  disciples  in  Mormon  wives,  who  feel  the 
natural  craving  for  home  life  and  children  satisfied,  yet  withal  have 
ample  time  for  the  development  and  cultivation  of  every  faculty  within 
them. 

"  Content  in  knowing  herself  beloved,  and  wedded  to  a  man  whose 
purity  of  mind  and  body  is  equal  to  her  own,  while  his  intelligence  is  one 
degree  higher,  his  wisdom  a  rock  upon  which  to  lean  in  every  emergency, 
the  plural  wife  may,  from  her  own  threshold,  look  out  into  the  broad 
world  and  choose  such  enterprise  as  she  feels  herself  adapted  to,  the 
twenty  years  of  her  middle  life  spent  in  the  care  and  rearing  of  her  chil- 


WOMAN  UNDER  PLURAL  MARRIAGE  259 

dren  the  while  she  is  quietly  studying  and  preparing  herself  for  that 
further  mission.  At  the  end  of  her  child-bearing  period  she  may,  while 
aiding  her  own  and  her  husband's  family  with  her  wisdom  and  experi- 
ence, launch  out  into  her  chosen  vocation,  ready  to  add  the  mite  of  her 
experience  to  the  great  problem  of  humanity.  That  problem  is  the  de- 
velopment of  each,  individuality  to  its  highest  possibility,  the  wise  care 
and  rearing  of  dependent  childhood,  and  the  peace,  happiness,  and  well- 
being  of  all  God's  children.  That  polygamy,  wisely  and  faithfully  prac- 
ticed, will  be  a  grand  factor  in  bringing  to  pass  this  millennium  of  use- 
fulness and  happiness,  I  sincerely  believe." — Family  Life  Among  the 
Mormons  (North  American  Review,  pp.  347,  349,  March,  1890). 
Phil  Robinson  dwells  on  this  matter  at  even  greater  length, 
throwing  further  valuable  light  upon  this  curious  phase  of  the 
subject.     He  writes: 

"  But  the  *  woman's  rights '  aspect  of  polygamy  is  one  that  has  never 
been  theorized  on  at  all.  It  deserves,  however,  special  consideration  by 
those  who  think  that  they  are  *  elevating '  Mormon  women  by  trying  to 
suppress  polygamy.  It  possesses  also  a  general  interest  for  all.  For  the 
plural  wives  of  Salt  Lake  City  are  not  by  any  means  '  waiting  for  salva- 
tion '  at  the  hands  of  the  men  and  women  of  the  East.  Unconscious  of 
having  fetters  on,  they  evince  no  enthusiasm  for  their  noisy  deliverers. 

"  On  the  contrary,  they  consider  their  interference  as  a  slur  upon  their 
own  intelligence,  and  an  encroachment  upon  those  very  rights  about 
which  monogamist  females  are  making  so  much  clamor.  They  look 
upon  themselves  as  the  leaders  in  a  movement  for  the  emancipation  of 
their  sex,  and  how,  then,  can  they  be  expected  to  accept  emancipation  at 
the  hands  of  those  whom  they  are  trying  to  elevate  ?  Thinking  them- 
selves in  the  van  of  freedom,  are  they  to  be  grateful  for  the  guidance 
of  stragglers  in  the  rear?  They  laugh  at  such  sympathy,  just  as  a 
brave  man  would  laugh  at  encouragement  from  a  co>yard,  or  wealthy 
landowners  at  a  pauper's  exposition  of  the  responsibilities  of  property. 
Can  the  deaf,  they  ask,  tell  musicians  anything  of  the  beauty  of  sounds, 
or  need  the  artist  care  for  the  blind  man's  theory  of  color? 

"  Indeed,  it  has  been  in  contemplation  to  evangelize  the  Eastern  States, 
on  this  very  subject  of  woman's  rights!  To  send  out  from  Utah  ex- 
ponents of  the  proper  place  of  women  in  society,  and  to  teach  the  women 
of  monogamy  their  duties  to  themselves  and  each  other !  *  Woman's  true 
status  ' —  I  am  quoting  from  their  organ  — '  is  that  of  companion  to  man, 
but  so  protected  by  law  that  she  can  act  in  an  independent  sphere  if  he 
abuse  his  position,  and  render  union  unendurable.'  They  not  only,  there- 
fore, claim  all  that  women  elsewhere  claim,  but  they  consider  marriage 
the  universal  birthright  of  every  female.  First  of  all,  they  say,  be  mar' 
ried,  and  then  in  the  case  of  accidents  have  all  other  rights  as  well.  But 
to  start  with,  every  woman  must  have  a  husband.  She  is  hardly  worth 
calling  a  woman  if  she  is  single.  Other  privileges  ought  to  be  hers  lest 
marriage  should  prove  disastrous.  But  in  the  first  instance  she  should 
claim  her  right  to  be  a  wife.  And  everybody  else  should  insist  on  that 
claim  being  recognized.  The  rest  is  very  important  to  fall  back  upon, 
but  union  with  man  is  her  first  step  towards  her  proper  sphere. 

"  Now,  could  any  position  be  imagined  more  ludicrous  for  the  would- 
be  saviors  of  Utah  womanhood  than  this,  that  the  slaves  whom  they 
talk  of  rescuing  from  their  degradation  should  be  striving  to  bring 
others  up  to  their  own  standards  ?  When  Stanley  was  in  Central  Africa, 
he  was  often  amused  and  sometimes  not  a  little  disgusted  to  find  that 
instead  of  his  discovering  the  Central  Africans,  the  Central  Africans 


26o  THE  REAL  MORMONISM 

insisted  on  *  discovering '  him.  .  .  .  Something  very  like  this  will  be  the 
fate  of  those  who  come  to  Utah  thinking  that  they  will  be  received  as 
shining  lights  from  a  better  world.  They  will  not  find  the  women  of 
Utah  waiting  with  outstretched  arms  to  grasp  the  hand  that  saves  them. 
There  will  be  no  stampede  of  downtrodden  females.  On  the  contrary, 
the  clarion  of  woman's  rights  will  be  sounded,  and  the  intruding  '  cham- 
ipions '  of  that  cause  will  find  themselves  attacked  with  their  own  weap- 
ons, and  hoisted  with  their  own  petards.  '  With  the  sceptre  of  woman's 
rights  the  daughters  of  Zion  will  go  down  as  apostles  to  evangelize  the 
nation.  *'  Who  is  she  that  looketh  forth  as  the  morning,  fair  as  the 
moon,  clear  as  the  sun,  and  terrible  as  an  army  with  banners?"  The 
daughter  of  Zion ! ' 

"Mormon  wives,  then,  are  emphatically  'woman's  rights  women,'  a 
title  which  is  everywhere  recognized  as  indicating  independence  of 
character  and  an  elevated  sense  of  the  claims  of  the  sex,  and  as  in- 
ferring exceptional  freedom  in  action.  And  I  venture  to  hold  the 
opinion  that  it  is  only  women  who  are  conscious  of  freedom  that  can 
institute  such  movements  as  this  in  Utah,  and  only  those  who  are 
enthusiastic  in  the  cause,  that  can  carry  them  on  with  the  courage  and 
industry  so  conspicuous  in  this  community. 

"A  Governor  once  went  there  specially  instructed  to  release  the 
women  of  Utah  from  their  bondage,  but  he  found  none  willing  to  be 
'released.'  The  franchise  was  then  clamored  for,  in  order  to  let  the 
women  of  Utah  'fight  their  oppressors  at  the  polls,'  and  the  Mormon 
*  tyrants '  took  the  hint  to  give  their  wives  votes,  and  the  first  use  these 
misguided  victims  of  plurality  made  of  their  new  possession  was  to 
protest,  20,000  victims  together,  against  the  calumnies  heaped  upon  the 
men  of  Utah  'whom  they  honored  and  loved.'  To-day  it  is  an  act  of 
Congress  that  is  to  set  free  these  worse-than-Indian-suttee-devotees, 
and  whether  they  like  it  or  not  they  are  to  be  compelled  to  leave  their 
husbands  or  take  the  alternative  of  sending  their  husbands  to  jail.  .  .  . 

"  Monogamist  reformers,  having  twice  failed  to  persuade  the  wives 
of  Utah  to  abandon  their  husbands  by  giving  them  the  facilities  for 
doing  so,  are  now  going  to  take  their  husbands  from  them  by  the  force 
of  the  law.  '  Sua  si  bona  norint '  is  the  excuse  of  the  reformers  to 
themselves  for  their  philanthropy,  and,  like  the  old  Inquisitors  who 
burnt  their  victims  to  save  them  from  heresy,  they  are  going  to  make 
women  wretched  in  order  to  make  them  happy.  Says  the  Woman's 
Exponent:  'If  the  women  of  Utah  are  slaves,  their  bonds  are  loving 
ones  and  dearly  prized.  They  are  to-day  in  the  free  and  unrestricted 
exercise  of  more  political  and  social  rights  than  are  the  women  of  any 
other  part  of  the  United  States.  But  they  do  not  choose  as  a  body  to 
court  the  follies  and  vices  which  adorn  the  civilization  of  other  cities, 
nor  to  barter  principles  of  tried  worth  for  the  tinsel  of  sentimentality 
or  the  gratification  of  passion.' 

"  It  is  of  no  use  for  '  Mormon-eaters '  to  say  that  this  is  written 
'under  direction,'  and  that  the  women  who  write  in  this  way  are 
prompted  by  authority.  Nor  would  they  say  it  if  they  knew  personally 
the  women  who  write  thus.  Moreover,  Mormon-eaters  are  perpetually 
denouncing  the  '  scandalous  freedom '  and  '  independence '  extended  to 
Mormon  women  and  girls.  And  the  two  charges  of  excessive  freedom 
and  abject  slavery  seem  to  me  totally  incompatible.  .  .  . 

"This  aspect  of  the  polygamy  problem  deserves,  then,  I  think,  con- 
siderable attention.  An  Act  has  been  passed  to  compel  some  20,000 
women  to  leave  their  husbands,  and  the  world  looks  upon  these  women 
as  slaves  about  to  be  freed  from  tyrants.    Yet  they  have  said  and  done 


WOMAN  UNDER  PLURAL  MARRIAGE  261 

all  that  could  possibly  be  expected  of  them,  and  even  more  than  could 
have  been  expected,  to  assure  the  world  that  they  have  neither  need  nor 
desire  of  emancipation,  as  they  honor  their  husbands,  and  prefer 
polygamy,  with  all  its  conditions,  to  monogamy  which  brings  with  it 
infidelity  at  home  and  prostitution  abroad.  Again  and  again  they  have 
protested,  in  petitions  to  individuals  and  petitions  to  Congress,  that 
'their  bonds  are  loving  ones  and  dearly  prized.'  But  the  enthusiasm 
of  reformers  takes  no  heed  of  their  protests.  ^  They  are  constantly 
declaring  in  public  speeches  and  by  public  votes,  in  books  and  in  news- 
papers—above all,  in  their  daily  conduct  —  that  they  consider  them- 
selves free  and  happy  women,  but  the  zeal  of  philanthropy  will  not  be 
gainsaid,  and  so  the  women  of  Utah  are,  all  else  failing,  to  be  saved 
from  themselves.  The  '  foul  blot '  of  a  servitude  which  the  serfs  aver 
does  not  exist  is  to  be  wiped  out  by  declaring  20,000  wives  mistresses, 
their  households  illegal,  and  their  future  children  bastards ! " —  Sinners 
and  Saints,  pp.  103-109. 

In  connection  with  Mr.  Robinson's  explanation  of  the  position 
of  women  in  Mormon  communities,  there  are  numerous  testi- 
monies available  from  the  pens  of  prominent  and  able  women, 
which  argue  very  closely  to  the  conclusion  that  only  in  such  com- 
munities do  women  have  the  slightest  promise  of  real  '*  elevation." 
The  following  from  Mrs.  Emmeline  B.  Wells,  President  of  the 
Women's  National  Relief  Society,  and  for  over  thirty  years  editor 
of  the  Woman's  Exponent,  a  paper  filled  with  aspirations  for 
the  elevation  of  the  sex,  is  interesting : 

"We  believe  in  redemption  from  the  curse  placed  upon  woman. 
If  you  ask  why,  we  will  tell  you  it  is  a  part  of  our  religion,  and  we 
are  working  to  bring  it  to  pass.  .  .  .  Woman  will  be  redeemed  from 
that  curse,  as  sure  as  the  sun  shines  or  the  Lord  lives.  And  the  man 
and  the  woman  will  be  equal,  except  there  must  necessarily  always  be 
a  first,  and  the  man  is  first. 

"  In  the  Church  termed  *  Mormon,'  women  have  always  voted  in  all 
Church  assemblies,  on  all  questions  relating  to  temporal  or  spiritual 
matters,  just  as  freely  as  men,  therefore  it  was  not  strange  that  equal 
suffrage  should  be  accorded  to  our  women  at  an  early  period.  In  fact, 
woman  suffrage  is  in  keeping  with  the  institutions  of  Mormonism 
and  in  harmony  therewith.  Brigham  Young  was  one  of  the  most 
progressive  men  of  the  age,  and  the  moment  woman  suffrage  was 
talked  of,  he  favored  it.  The  legislature  then  in  session  in  the 
winter  of  1869  and  1870,  passed  a  bill  giving  women  equal  suffrage, 
and  the  Hon.  Abraham  O.  Smoot  (father  of  Senator  Reed  Smoot) 
was  the  man  who  introduced  the  bill,  which  passed,  as  you  doubtless 
know,  and  was  signed  by  the  Secretary  of  State,  the  Hon.  S.  A  Mann, 
then  Acting  Governor  in  the  absence  of  the  Governor.  .  .  . 

"How  can  one  help  thinking  woman  will  have  some  vital  part  in 
the  great  work  of  redeeming  her  own  sex,  the  daughters  of  Eve, 
when  she  has  played  so  conspicuous  a  part,  first  in  the  Garden  of 
Eden;  and  as  in  the  great  drama  of  the  world  woman  is  and  has  been 
a  vital,  active  force,  so  it  will  be  at  the  close  of  the  most  sublime 
drama  ever  introduced  upon  any  stage,  woman  in  her  purity  and 
magnanimity  will  rise  victorious,  having  finished  the  part  assigned 
her  and  made  restitution.  Redeemed  from  the  curse,  her  triumph, 
her  song  of  victory  will  be  greater  and  loftier  far  than  Miriam's 
or  Deborah's  of  old.  .  .  . 


'262  THE  REAL  MORMONISM 

"Mormon  women  are  the  happiest  women  in  the  world,  taken  as 
a  whole.  I  know  them  intimately,  in  their  homes,  in  their  organiza- 
tions, in  politics,  in  religion.  We  have  more  actual  freedom  than 
most  other  women,  we  are  a  very  independent  body  of  women;  we 
vote,  we  attend  political  primaries  and  conventions  and  take  part  in 
them,  we  have  helped  to  make  this  country,  (some  of  us  were  a 
sort  of  pioneers,)  and  we  feel  as  if  it  belonged  to  us,  we  believe  in 
homes,  we  are  home-makers,  we  are  some  of  us  colonizers,  our  young 
people  marry  and  go  out  into  new  lands,  north  and  south,  and  build 
up  new  settlements  somewhat  as  we  did  when  we  came  here,  only 
they  are  better  supplied  with  what  is  needed." — "  Why  a  Woman 
Should  Desire  to  be  a  Mormon."  (Woman's  Exponent,  December  1907 
—  January  1908.) 

In  a  public  speech  before  one  of  the  numerous  meetings  of 
women,  called  to  protest  against  unjust  federal  laws  aimed  at 
settling  the  so-called  "  Mormon  problem,"  Mrs.  Phoebe  C.  Wood- 
ruff is  quoted,  as  follows : 

"  The  cry  has  ever  been  the  *  down-trodden  women  of  Utah.'  .  .  . 
They  would  have  the  world  believe  us  the  most  degraded  and  neglected 
beings  of  all  God's  creation.  Now,  we  know  this  is  not  so;  we  enjoy 
full  as  much  liberty  as  they  do,  and  a  great  deal  more,  with  all  their 
boasted  civilization.  We  enjoy  all  the  rights  that  are  accorded  to 
our  sex  anywhere,  and  know  as  well  how  to  use  them  as  any  of  our 
compeers  in  the  eastern  cities  would.  Indeed,  we  enjoyed  more  be- 
fore they  kindly  introduced  so  much  of  their  vaunted  civilization  into 
our  midst.  The  day  has  been  when  one  could  walk  the  streets  of 
Salt  Lake  City  at  any  hour  of  the  day  or  night,  if  necessary,  without 
fear  of  insult,  for  every  man  we  met  would  be  a  brother  and  a 
friend." — Quoted  in  Utah  and  Its  People  by  a  Gentile  {D.  D.  Lum). 

Another  prominent  woman,  Mrs.  Isabella  Home,  argued  in 
precisely  similar  strain  before  the  same  meeting,  as  follows : 

"  You  say  that  you  would  like  to  know  how  the  Mormon  women  do 
feel.  I  will  tell  you.  They  all  know  that  they  are  honored  wives  and 
mothers,  acknowledged  in  society  with  their  children,  and  are  happy 
in  knowing  that  their  husbands  are  true  to  their  marriage  covenants, 
whether  they  have  one  wife  or  more.  The  Lord,  seeing  the  wicked- 
ness and  corruption  on  the  earth,  in  his  Wisdom  has  revealed  the 
principle  of  Plural  Marriage,  to  purify  society  and  elevate  woman 
from  the  degradation  in  which  man  has  placed  her;  and  woe  will 
be  unto  the  man  that  degrades  woman,  for  she  is  a  gift  from  God. 
And  I  can  positively  assert  that  in  no  place  on  earth  are  chastity  and 
virtue  in  women  more  honored  and  protected  than  among  the  people 
called  '  Mormons.'  " —  Ibid. 

Probably  the  strongest  protest  ever  uttered  by  the  Mormon 
women  was  in  the  mass  meeting  at  Salt  Lake  City,  March  6,  1886, 
when  the  judicial  injustices  perpetrated  under  the  provisions  of 
the  Edmunds  Law  were  under  discussion.  This  occasion  was 
conspicuous,  not  only  for  the  fervid  eloquence  of  the  speakers,  but 
also  for  their  high  average  of  intelligence.  Indeed,  the  strongest 
protests  were  uttered  by  several  women  physicians,  who  must  be 
credited  with  a  degree  of  education  and  intelligence  above  the 


WOMAN  UNDER  PLURAL  MARRIAGE  263 

dead  level  of  the  common  schools.  Nor,  do  the  deliverances  of 
these  ladies  betray  any  such  fact  as  that  they  were  merely  de- 
sirous of  maintaining  their  prestige  with  their  patients  and  the 
public  generally.  Something  closely  akin  to  real  conviction  is 
evident  in  their  remarks.  On  this  occasion,  Dr.  Romania  B. 
Pratt  spoke  as  follows : 

"  A  true  marriage  cannot  be  productive  of  evil,  for  it  is  the  perfect 
union  of  heart  and  soul,  sanctified  by  mutual  consent  and  sealed  by 
God's  holy  ordinance.  The  *  Mormon '  marriage  covenant  is  as  bind- 
ing on  the  man  as  the  woman,  for  any  departure  from  the  marriage 
law  is  a  deadly  sin  and  is  punished  with  us  by  excommunication  from 
the  Church,  which  we  regard  as  spiritual  death.  And  it  is  dependent 
upon  the  covenants  the  sinner  has  made  whether  he  can  ever  be 
readmitted  as  a  member  again.  The  Latter-day  Saints  regard  plural 
marriage  as  an  extension  of  all  the  privileges  and  good  results  arising 
from  single  marriage.  Has  not  every  woman  the  undeniable  right 
to  be  an  honorable  wife  and  mother  —  of  fulfilling  the  end  of  her 
creation,  and  do  not  the  circumstances  of  life  and  statistics  prove  this 
to  be  impossible  under  the  monogamic  system?  And  were  this  the 
acknowledged  law  of  the  land,  would  it  not  lay  the  ax  at  the  root  of 
the  greatest  evil  that  has  ever  cursed  the  land? 

"  If  the  same  ceremony  seals  each  wife  to  her  husband,  may  not 
each  family  be  a  realization  of  the  beautiful  picture  of  one  father  and 
one  mother,  each  the  equal  of  the  other  in  that  family,  happy  in  the 
consciousness  of  mutual  and  eternal  affection?  .  .  .  The  rearing  of  an 
intelligent  and  God-fearing  family  is  the  very  essence  of  the  reason  for 
the  revelation  of  celestial  marriage,  for  God  has  said  *  He  will  raise 
up  unto  himself  a  righteous  seed.'  Can  the  children  of  men  who 
daily  pollute  themselves  in  the  society  of  abandoned  women  be  a 
righteous  seed?  Can  wives  love,  honor  and  be  faithful  to  husbands 
they  absolutely  know  are  faithless  to  them?  Thank  God  that  by 
virtue  of  woman's  inherent  goodness,  wives  in  the  monogamy  of  the 
world  are  more  faithful  a  thousand  to  one  than  the  husbands. 

"And  a  pertinent  question  arises  in  speaking  of  abandoned  women. 
If  it  had  been  possible  for  them  to  become  loving  and  beloved  wives, 
would  there  be  so  many  abandoned?  The  fidelity,  the  hallowed  sacred- 
ness  and  dignity  of  each  wife's  family  hearthstone  can  be  abundantly 
verified  among  this  people.  The  marriage  covenant  is  eternal,  and 
is  equal  to  each  wife  in  all  its  blessings,  powers  and  privileges,  as 
each  is  equally  faithful  and  worthy.  The  union  for  all  eternity  is 
the  keystone  sentence  of  the  ceremony.  The  bonds,  then,  of  these 
plural  families  are  true,  virtuous,  eternal;  welded  by  power  given  of 
heaven,  and  what  *  God  hath  joined  together  let  no  man  put  asunder.* 

"Our  faith  and  confidence  in  the  chastity  and  pure  motives  of  our 
husbands,  fathers,  mothers  and  sons  are  such  that  we  challenge  the 
production  of  a  better  system  of  marriage  and  the  records  of  more 
moral  or  purer  lives.  Hand  in  hand  with  celestial  marriage  is  the 
elevation  of  woman.  In  Church  she  votes  equally  with  men,  and 
politically  she  has  the  suffrage  raising  her  from  the  old  common-law 
monogamic  serfdom,  to  political  equality  with  men.  Rights  of  prop- 
erty are  given  her  so  that  she,  as  a  married  woman,  can  hold 
|)roperty  in  her  own  individual  right.  Women  are  not  thrown  off 
in  old  age  as  has  been  most  untruthfully  and  shamefully  asserted. 


264  THE  REAL  MORMONISM 

There  is  nothing  in  our  plural  marriage  system  that  countenances 
any  such  thing.  The  very  nature  of  the  covenant  forbids  it.  .  .  . 
Instances  of  wrong-doing  may  be  found  in  families  of  plural  house- 
holds, but  the  exceptions  are  not  the  rule;  the  weight  of  good  re- 
sults of  the  majority  should  be  the  standard  of  judgment.  It  cannot 
be  true,  as  asserted,  that  plural  marriage  is  entered  into  as  a  rule 
from  sensual  motives.  It  is  self-evident  that  it  is  not  the  case  with 
the  women,  and  it  is  unreasonable  to  suppose  that  men  would  bring 
upon  themselves  the  responsibilities,  cares  and  expenses  of  a  plural 
family,  when  they  could  avoid  all  this,  yet  revel  in  sin,  and,  in  the 
language  of  a  distinguished  man  of  the  world,  *be  like  the  rest  of 
us.'" — Mormon  Women's  Protest,  pp.  29-31. 

Another  woman  physician,  Dr.  Ellis  R.  Shipp,  spoke  on  the 
same  occasion  with  equal  emphasis  and  effect,  as  follows : 

"And  this  is  our  grierous  oifense.  A  certain  tenet  of  our  religious 
faith  our  opponents  cannot  countenance,  because  so  contrary  to  their 
own  sinful  practices.  The  evil  results  of  these  practices  we  have 
personally  observed,  particularly  in  the  hospitals  of  the  world,  where 
fallen  women  seek  the  shelter  they  cannot  obtain  from  those  who 
should  have  protected  them  instead  of  throwing  them  and  their  off- 
spring upon  the  mercies  of  a  cold,  unfeeling  world.  By  consulting 
the  national  statistics,  we  find  New  York  with  thirty  thousand  women 
leading  lives  of  prostitution;  Chicago  twenty  thousand;  Boston  and 
Cincinnati  each  ten  thousand,  and  other  cities  with  a  like  ratio  ac- 
cording to  the  number  of  inhabitants. 

"  Unfortunately,  a  record  of  the  opposite  sex  is  not  kept. 

"  We  are  accused  of  being  down-trodden  and  oppressed.  We  deny 
the  charge  for  we  know  there  cannot  be  found  a  class  of  women  upon 
the  earth  who  occupy  a  more  elevated  position  in  the  hearts  of  their 
husbands,  or  whose  most  delicate  and  refined  feelings  are  so  re- 
spected as  here  in  Utah. 

"True  we  practice  plural  marriage,  not,  however,  because  we  are 
compelled  to,  but  because  we  are  convinced  that  it  is  a  divine  revela- 
tion, and  we  find  in  this  principle  satisfaction,  contentment  and  more 
happiness  than  we  could  obtain  in  any  other  relationship. 

"  Let  our  works  speak  for  us.  We  are  a  temperate.  God-fearing, 
law-abiding  people.  We  consider  virtue  and  chastity  the  crowning 
ornaments  of  a  woman's  character.  Our  ladies  are  educated  and 
refined,  and  their  lives  are  constantly  characterized  by  acts  of  nobility, 
fortitude,   and   usefulness.  .  .  . 

"  How  strange  that  the  rulers  of  this  nation  should  overlook  the 
glaring  and  palpable  evils  that  so  thickly  beset  themselves  and  traverse 
thousands  of  miles,  in  order  to  stigmatize  a  small  handful  of  in- 
offensive people  called  *  Mormons,'  who  have  already  been  driven 
to  a  desert  land  where  it  was  supposed  they  would  soon  perish  and 
die  from  starvation  and  exposure !  " —  Ibid.  pp.  37-38. 

Although  American  "  philanthropy,"  usually  so  "  busy  else- 
where "  when  real  evils  are  to  be  corrected  with  no  opportunity 
for  notoriety  and  a  chance  to  obtain  huge  credits  for  sanctified 
generosity,  has  decreed,  and  succeeded  in  enforcing  the  decision 
that  the  women  of  Mormondon  must  be  '*  saved  from  them- 
selves," the  protests  of  these  same  "  victims  "  are  always  on  file 
for  the  information  of  the  intelligent  reader.    There  is  one  last 


WOMAN  UNDER  PLURAL  MARRLVGE  265 

argument  against  this  "  principle  "  that  is  still  used  with  an  evi- 
dent intent  to  justify  our  previous  injustice  to  these  people. 
That  is  that  the  Mormon  plural  wife,  in  spite  of  her  statements 
to  the  contrary,  could  not  possibly  be  happy.  Even  Phil  Robin- 
son discriminates  carefully  between  happiness  and  "  content,"  and 
concludes,  because  according  to  his  understanding,  the  former 
was  not  available  in  plural  marriage ;  therefore,  "  polygamy  "  is 
an  evil  in  itself.  Presently,  however,  he  proceeds  to  enlarge  upon 
another  "  singular  feature  "  of  the  matter,  as  follows : 

"The  advocates  of  woman's  rights  are  a  very  strong  party  in  Utah; 
and  their  publications  use  the  very  same  arguments  that  strong- 
minded  women  have  made  so  terrible  to  newspaper  editors  in  Europe, 
and  members  of  Parliament.  Thus  the  Woman's  Exponent  —  with 
'the  Rights  of  the  Women  of  all  Nations*  for  its  motto  —  publishes 
continually  signed  letters  in  which  plural  wives  affirm  their  content- 
ment with  their  lot,  and  in  one  of  its  issues  .  .  .  'Hints  on  Marriage,* 
signed  *  Lillie  Freeze.'  But  for  a  sentence  or  two  it  might  be  an 
article  by  a  Gentile  in  a  Gentile  *  lady's  paper,'  for  it  speaks  of 
'courtship'  and  'lovers,'  and  has  the  quotation,  'two  souls  with  but 
a  single  thought,  two  hearts  that  beat  as  one,'  and  all  the  other 
orthodox  pretty  things,  about  true  love  and  married  bliss.  Yet  the 
writer  is  speaking  of  polygamy!  In  the  middle  of  this  article  written 
*  for  love's  sweet  sake,'  and  as  womanly  and  pure  as  ever  words 
written  by  woman,  comes  this  paragraph :  — 

" '  In  proportion  as  the  power  of  evil  increases,  a  disregard  for 
the  sacred  institution  of  marriage  also  increases  among  the  married 
until  this  most  sacred  relationship  will  be  overwhelmed  by  disunion 
and  strife,  and  only  among  the  despised  Latter-day  Saints  will  the 
true  foundation  of  social  happiness  and  prosperity  be  found  upon  the 
earth;  but  in  order  to  realize  that  state  we  must  be  guided  by 
principles  more  perfect  than  those  which  have  wrought  such  dissolu- 
tion. God  has  revealed  a  plan  for  establishing  a  new  order  of  society 
which  will  elevate  and  benefit  all  mankind  who  embrace.  The  nations 
that  fight  against  it  are  working  out  their  own  destruction,  for  their 
house  is  built  upon  the  sand,  and  one  of  the  cornerstones  is  already 
loosened  through  their  disregard  and  dishonor  of  the  institution  of 
marriage.' 

"  Now  what  is  to  be  done  with  women  who  not  only  declare  they 
are  happy  in  polygamy,  but  persist  in  trying  to  improve  their  monog- 
amous sisters?  How  is  the  missionary  going  to  begin,  for  instance, 
with  Lillie  Freeze  ?  " —  Sinners  and  Saints,  pp.  98-100. 

The  question  of  the  attitude  of  woman  toward  this  "  principle  " 
could  be  no  better  concluded  than  by  the  quotation  of  the  follow- 
ing verses,  written  by  Mrs.  Emmeline  B.  Wells,  whose  experience 
of  love  and  marriage  was  confined  entirely  to  the  plural  "  order." 
Mrs.  Wells  has  always  been  a  leader  in  movements  for  the  eleva- 
tion of  her  sex,  and  is  widely  known  as  an  advocate  of  "  equal 
suffrage."  She  is  also  one  of  the  most  graceful  poets  among  her 
people,  having  published  several  volumes  of  verse,  highly  esteemed 
for  sentiment  and  imagery,  as  well  as  for  elegance  of  diction. 
Her  husband  was  Daniel  H.  Wells,  one  of  the  First  Presidency. 


266  THE  REAL  MORMONISM 

"THE  WIFE  TO  HER  HUSBAND 

"It  seems  to  me  that  should  I  die, 

And  this  poor  body  cold  and  lifeless  lie, 

And  thou  shouldst  touch  my  lips  with  thy  warm  breatK, 

The  life-blood,  quickened  in  each   sep'rate  vein, 

Would  wildly,  madly  rushing  back  again. 

Bring  the  glad  spirit  from  the  isle  of  aeath. 

It  seems  to  me  that  were  I  dead. 
And  thou   in  sympathy  should'st  o'er  me  shed 
Some  tears  of   sorrow,  or  of  sad  regret. 
That  every  pearly  drop  that  fell  in  grief, 
Would  bud  or  blossom,  bursting  into  leaf, 
To  prove  immortal  love  could  not   forget 

I  do  believe  that  round  my  grave. 
When  the  cool  fragrant  evening  zephyrs  wave, 
Should'st  thou  in  friendship  linger  near  the  spot, 
And   breathe   some  tender  words   in  memory. 
That  this  poor  heart  in  grateful  constancy, 
Would   softly  whisper  back  some  loving  thought. 

I  do  believe  that  should  I  pass 

Into  the  unknown  land  of  happiness. 

And  thou  should'st  wish  to  see  my   face  once  more. 

That  in  my  earnest  longing  after  thee, 

I  would  come  forth  in  joyful  ecstasy, 

And  once  again  gaze  on  thee  as  before. 

I  do  believe  my  faith  in  thee. 

Stronger  than  life,  an  anchor  firm  to  be; 

Planted  in  thine   integrity  and  worth, 

A   perfect  trust  implicit  and   secure; 

That  will  all  trials  and  all  grief  endure. 

And  bless  and  comfort  me^  while  here  on  earth. 

I  do  believe  who  love  hath  known, 

Or  sublime  friendship's  purest,  highest  tone. 

Hath  tasted  of  the  cup  of  ripest  bliss. 

And  drunk  the  choicest  wine  life  hath  to  give. 

Hath  known  the  truest  joy  it  is  to  live; 

What  blessing  rich  or  great  compared  to  this? 

I  do  believe  true  love  to  be 

An  element  that  in  its  tendency 

Is  elevating  to  the  human  mind, 

An   intuition   which   we   recognize 

As   foretaste  of   immortal  paradise. 

Through  which  the  soul  will  be  refined. 

—  Musings  and  Memories, 


V 
THE  MORMON  ORGANIZATION 

"And  he  gave  some,  apostles;  and  some,  prophets;  and  some,  evangelists;  and  some, 
pastors  and  teachers;  for  the  perfecting  of  the  saints,  for  the  work  of  the  ministry,  for 
the  edifying  of  the  body  of  Christ:  till  we  all  come  into  the  unity  of  the  faith,  and  of 
the  knowledge  of  the  Son  of  God." — Ephesians  v.  11-13. 


CHAPTER  XX 

THE  ORGANIZATION  OF  THE  MORMON   CHURCH 

Probably  the  best  known  fact  about  the  Mormon  Church  is 
that  it  embodies  a  singularly  efficient  organization,  which  per- 
mits it  to  achieve  results  impossible  to  virtually  all  other  religious 
bodies,  and  binds  its  people  into  a  wonderfully  close  solidarity. 
This  organization  has  been  compared  to  that  of  the  Society  of 
Jesus,  the  Jesuit  Order,  whose  organization  is  essentially  mili- 
tary; also,  to  army  organizations  of  the  most  efficient  type.  It 
differs  from  all  such,  however,  in  the  fact  that  it  is  a  curious 
blending  of  perfect  democracy  with  a  very  distinct  recognition 
of  a  strong  centre  of  authority.  The  latter  supplies  a  purely 
theocratic  element.  That  the  organization  of  the  Mormon 
Church  is  a  very  real  and  very  remarkable  masterpiece  cannot 
be  denied.  That  it  is  also  a  wonderfully  efficient  engine  for 
achieving  grand  results,  both  social  and  moral,  must  be  evident 
after  examination  of  the  facts.  That  it  is,  furthermore,  the 
model  and  prototype,  upon  which  the  ultimate  and  perfectly  ef- 
fective religious  influence  must  be  organized,  is  a  postulate  liable 
to  be  suspected  somewhere  toward  the  close  of  a  thorough  study. 

As  a  matter  of  fact,  the  Mormon  organization  accords  well 
with  what  is,  after  all,  the  obvious  conclusion  in  regard  to  the 
ultimate  solution  of  the  troublesome  problems  of  civilization: 
that  our  problems  may  be  met  and  solved  only  when  society  is 
organized  on  a  basis  distinctly  religious,  and  when  religion  shall 
be  expressed  in  an  organization,  giving  full  and  complete  recog- 
nition to  matters  distinctively  social  and  human.  The  fact  that 
the  Mormon  Church  actually  embodies  these  requirements,  and 
in  this  respect,  harmonizes  these  apparent  contradictions,  fur- 
nishes an  explanation,  alike,  of  its  vitality  and  of  the  grand  re- 
sults, evidently  approximated,  even  if  not  fully  realized,  in  its 
operation.  In  fine,  the  organization  of  the  Church  furnishes 
consideration  of  the  utmost  significance  to  sociology,  ethics  and 
religion  alike.  Nevertheless,  that  it  could  be  copied  or  adapted 
to  any  other  system  of  religion,  even  one  professing  the  same 
interest  in  human  and  visible  concerns  of  life,  is  highly  doubt- 

269 


2^0  THE  REAL  MORMONISM 

f ul ;  it  seems  to  be  an  institution  inevitable  to  the  peculiar  genius 
of  Mormonism,  and  inseparable  from  it. 

Beyond  doubt,  the  entire  edifice  of  the  Mormon  "hierarchy," 
so-called,  was  erected  in  the  day  and  through  the  agency  of  the 
Prophet  Joseph  Smith.  To  the  unprejudiced  non-Mormon  it 
is  a  noble  monument  to  his  superlative  genius  as  an  organizer; 
to  his  disciples,  and  to  himself,  if  we  may  judge  from  his  state- 
ments, it  is  merely  the  restoration  of  the  Church  as  founded  by 
Christ  Himself,  and  was  formed  on  the  type  let  down  from  God. 

The  sixth  of  the  thirteen  "  Articles  of  Faith  "  of  the  Mormon 
Church  states : 

"  We  believe  in  the  same  organization  that  existed  in  the  Primitive 
Church,  viz.:  apostles,  prophets,  pastors,  teachers,  evangelists,  etc." 

Several  historic  sects  have  postulated  similarly,  notably  the 
disciples  of  Edward  Irving,  who  organized  the  so-called  Catholic 
Apostolic  Church,  with  numerous  scriptural  dignities  and  of- 
fices unfamiliar  in  Christian  history.  In  fact,  the  organization 
of  this  body  presents  several  interesting  points  of  correspond- 
ence with  Mormonism,  particularly  in  starting  with  a  body  of 
twelve  apostles.  The  Irvingites,  however,  do  not  regard  the 
Twelve  as  a  self -perpetuating  council,  and  allowed  it  to  lapse 
with  the  deaths  of  their  original  apostles.  The  Mormon 
Church,  on  the  other  hand,  has  maintained  its  apostolic 
"  quorum "  as  a  permanent  institution,  always  filling  vacancies 
created  by  death,  or  other  causes,  as  speedily  as  possible. 

The  organization  of  the  Mormon  Church  includes  two  orders 
of  priesthood,  called  respectively,  the  Melchisedek,  or  "  Higher 
Priesthood,"  and  the  Aaronic,  or  "  Lesser  Priesthood."  Thus 
two  orders,  although  distinct,  in  point  of  functions  and  digni- 
ties, interact  with  perfect  harmony.  Nor  is  this  discrimination 
of  two  priesthoods  without  warrant  in  Scripture.  The  authority 
commonly  quoted  is  in  the  following  passage  from  the  Epistle 
to  the  Hebrews : 

"  For  every  high  priest  taken  from  among  men  is  ordained  for  men 
in  things  pertaining  to  God,  that  he  may  offer  both  gifts  and  sacrifices 
for  sins.  .  .  .  And  no  man  taketh  this  honor  unto  himself,  but  he 
that  is  called  of  God,  as  was  Aaron.  So  also  Christ  glorified  not 
himself  to  be  made  an  high  priest;  but  he  that  said  unto  him,  Thou 
art  my  son,  to-day  have  I  begotten  thee.  As  he  saith  also  in  another 
place,  Thou  art  a  priest  for  ever  after  the  order  of  Melchisedec.  .  .  . 
For  this  Melchisedec,  King  of  Salem,  priest  of  the  most  high  God, 
who  met  Abraham  returning  from  the  slaughter  of  the  kings,  and 
blessed  him;  to  whom  also  Abraham  gave  a  tenth  part  of  all;  first 
being  by  interpretation  King  of  righteousness,  and  after  that  also 
King  of  Salem,  which  is  King  of  peace;  without  father,  without 
mother,  without  descent,  having  neither  beginning  of  days,  nor  end 
of  life  but  made  like  unto  the  Son  of  God,  abideth  a  priest  continually. 
Now  consider  how  great  this  man  was,  unto  whom  even  the  patriarch 


ORGANIZATION  OF  THE  MORMON  CHURCH    271 

Abraham  gave  a  tenth  of  the  spoils.  And  verily  they  that  are  of  the 
sons  of  Levi,  who  receive  the  office  of  the  priesthood,  have  a  command- 
ment to  take  tithes  of  the  people  according  to  the  law,  that  is,  of  their 
brethren,  though  they  come  out  of  the  loins  of  Abraham:  but  he 
whose  descent  is  not  counted  from  them,  received  tithes  of  Abraham, 
and  blessed  him  that  had  the  promises.  ...  If  therefore  perfection 
were  by  the  Levitical  priesthood,  (for  under  it  the  people  received 
the  law,)  what  further  need  was  there  that  another  priest  should 
rise  after  the  order  of  Melchisedec,  and  not  be  called  after  the  order 
of  Aaron?  For  the  priesthood  being  changed,  there  is  made  of  nec- 
essity a  change  also  of  the  law.  For  he  of  whom  these  things  are 
spoken  pertaineth  to  another  tribe,  of  which  no  man  gave  attendance 
at  the  altar.  For  it  is  evident  that  our  Lord  sprang  out  of  Juda;  of 
which  tribe  Moses  spake  nothing  concerning  priesthood.  And  it  is 
yet  far  more  evident;  for  that  after  the  similitude  of  Melchisidec 
there  ariseth  another  priest,  who  is  made,  not  after  the  law  of  a  carnal 
commandment,  but  after  the  power  of  an  endless  life." — Heb.  v.  i, 
4-7;  vii,  1-7,  11-16. 

According  to  the  interpretation  here  offered,  the  Levitical,  or 
Aaronic,  priesthood,  belonging  properly  to  the  children  of  Aaron, 
but  restored  in  modern  times  through  the  instrumentality  of 
John  the  Baptist  in  the  persons  of  Joseph  Smith  and  Oliver 
Cowdery,  is,  as  it  were,  a  step  toward  the  higher  and  complete 
priesthood,  "  after  the  order  of  the  Son  of  God,"  although  many 
persons  ordained  into  it  rise  no  higher.  The  Melchisedek  priest- 
hood, it  is  believed,  was  restored  in  modern  times  in  the  same 
persons,  through  the  instrumentality  of  the  Apostles  Peter, 
James  and  John,  and  was  by  them  transmitted  to  others  in  the 
Church.     These  matters  have  authoritative  statement  as  follows : 

"There  are,  in  the  church,  two  Priesthoods,  namely,  the  Melchisidek, 
and  Aaronic,  including  the  Levitical  Priesthood.  Why  the  first  is 
called  the  Melchisedek  Priesthood,  is  because  Melchisedek  was  such 
a  great  High  Priest.  Before  his  day  it  was  called  the  Holy  Priest- 
hood, after  the  order  of  the  Son  of  God;  but  out  of  respect  or  rever- 
ence to  the  name  of  Supreme  Being,  to  avoid  the  too  frequent  repeti- 
tion of  his  name,  they,  the  church,  in  ancient  days,  called  that  Priest- 
hood after  Melchisedek,  or  the  Melchisedek  Priesthood.  All  other 
authorities  or  officers  in  the  church  are  appendages  to  this  Priesthood; 
but  there  are  two  divisions  or  grand  heads  —  one  is  the  Melchisedek 
Priesthood,  and  the  other  is  the  Aaronic,  or  Levitical  priesthood." — 
Doctrine  and  Covenants,  cvii.  i-6. 

"  Abraham  received  the  Priesthood  from  Melchisedek,  who  received 
it  through  the  lineage  of  his  father,  even  till  Noah.  .  .  .  Which  Priest- 
hood continueth  in  the  church  of  God  in  all  generations,  and  is  with- 
out beginning  of  days  or  end  of  years.  And  the  Lord  confirmed  a  priest- 
hood also  upon  Aaron  and  his  seed,  throughout  all  their  generations  — 
which  priesthood  also  continueth  and  abideth  forever  with  the  Priest- 
hood, which  is  after  the  holiest  order  of  God.  And  this  greater 
Priesthood  administereth  the  gospel  and  holdeth  the  key  of  the  mys- 
teries of  the  kingdom,  even  the  key  of  the  knowledge  of  God. 
Therefore,  in  the  ordinances  thereof,  the  power  of  godliness  is  mani- 
fest; and  without  the  ordinances  thereof,  and  the  authority  of  the 
Priesthood,  the  power  of  godliness  is  not  manifest  unto  men  in  the 


272  THE  REAL  MORMONISM 

flesh;  for  without  this  no  man  can  see  the  face  of  God,  even  the 
Father,  and  live.  Now  this  Moses  plainly  taught  to  the  children  of 
Israel  in  the  wilderness,  and  sought  diligently  to  sanctify  his  people 
that  they  might  behold  the  face  of  God ;  but  they  hardened  their  hearts 
and  could  not  endure  his  presence,  therefore  the  Lord  in  his  wrath 
(for  his  anger  was  kindled  against  them)  swore  that  they  should  not 
enter  into  his  rest  while  in  the  wilderness,  which  rest  is  the  fulness 
of  his  glory.  Therefore  he  took  Moses  out  of  their  midst,  and  the 
Holy  Priesthood  also;  and  the  lesser  priesthood  continued,  which 
priesthood  holdeth  the  keys  of  the  ministering  of  angels  and  the 
preparatory  gospel." — Ibid.    Ixxxiv.  14,  17-26. 

"The  power  and  authority  of  the  Higher  or  Melchisedek  Priest- 
hood, is  to  hold  the  keys  of  all  the  spiritual  blessings  of  the  church  — 
to  have  the  privilege  of  receiving  the  mysteries  of  the  kingdom  of 
heaven  —  to  have  the  heavens  opened  unto  them  —  to  commune  with 
the  general  assembly  and  church  of  the  first  born,  and  to  enjoy  the 
communion  and  presence  of  God  the  Father,  and  Jesus  the  Mediator 
of  the  new  covenant.  The  power  and  authority  of  the  lesser,  or  Aaronic 
priesthood,  is  to  hold  the  keys  of  the  ministering  of  angels,  and  to 
administer  in  outward  ordinances,  the  letter  of  the  gospel  —  the  bap- 
tism of  repentance  for  the  remission  of  sins,  agreeable  to  the  covenants 
and  commandments." — Ibid.    cvii.  18-20. 

Although,  in  the  Mormon  Church,  there  is  no  distinct,  or  pro- 
fessional, class  holding  the  priesthood  or  ministry,  as  in  other 
bodies,  the  general  understanding  of  the  duties  and  privileges  of 
the  priestly  office  is  quite  similar  to  that  postulated  elsewhere. 
A  man  holding  any  degree  of  priesthood  among  the  Mormons 
may  occupy  any  position  in  the  community,  or  make  his  liveli- 
hood by  any  trade,  occupation  or  profession,  and  yet  possess,  by 
virtue  of  his  ordination,  or  "  setting-apart,"  a  distinct  religious 
significance  and  dignity.  In  addition  to  his  regular  secular  call- 
ing, he  is  an  authorized  and  accredited  minister  of  religion,  and, 
in  very  many  cases,  works  for  the  Church  and  its  interests  quite 
as  hard  and  as  long  as  for  himself.  According  to  the  established 
rule,  moreover,  no  priest,  whether  also  an  officer  in  any  Church 
organization  or  not,  receives  remuneration  for  his  services  to  re- 
ligion, unless  they  are  of  such  a  nature  as  to  demand  his  entire 
time  and  attention  —  in  that  case  he  is  paid  a  salary  propor- 
tionate to  the  needs  of  his  family.  Theoretically,  every  male 
member  of  the  Church  becomes  a  priest  in  some  degree:  prac- 
tically, about  90  per  cent,  of  the  men  hold  the  priesthood.  While 
women  are  not  regularly  ordained,  each  one  partakes  of  the  dig- 
nity of  her  husband,  and,  as  a  matter  of  fact,  in  temple  ordi- 
nances, etc.,  they  discharge  some  of  the  most  important  functions 
of  religion. 

The  accepted  definition  of  priesthood  is  given  in  the  following 
passage  in  one  of  the  accredited  text-books  of  the  Church : 

"  Priesthood  is  power  and  authority  given  to  men  to  act  in  the  name 
of  the  Lord.  It  is  a  right  conferred  on  men  to  officiate  In  the  ordi- 
nances of  the  Gospel;  and  to  advocate  the  principles  thereof.    In  other 


ORGANIZATION  OF  THE  MORMON  CHURCH    273 

words,  Priesthood  is  Divine  Authority  by  which  men  perform  acts 
for  the  benefit  of  their  fellow  men  under  the  law  of  the  Gospel;  and 
God  acknowledges  such  acts  as  if  they  were  His  own.  In  a  large 
sense,  Priesthood  signifies  'the  holy  order  of  the  Son  of  God,'  which 
He  holds  in  connection  with  heavenly  beings.  It  is  that  which  places 
man  in  a  condition  to  receive  the  ministration  of  angels,  and  to  en- 
joy the  presence  of  God  the  Father,  and  His  Son  Jesus  Christ"— 
Joseph  B.  Keeler  {The  Lesser  Priesthood,  etc.,  pp.  1-2). 

According  to  the  best  understanding  of  established  modes  of 
expression,  the  term  Priesthood  —  and  it  is  here  preferably 
spelled  with  a  capital  —  indicates  the  dignity  of  the  higher,  or 
Melchisedek,  order;  the  lesser,  or  Aaronic,  order  seeming  to  be 
somewhat  in  the  nature  of  a  preparation  for  the  dignities  of  the 
higher.  This  is  suggested  in  the  revelation  previously  quoted. 
Because  the  children  of  Israel  "  hardened  their  hearts  and  could 
not  endure  his  (God's)  presence,  therefore  the  Lord  in  his 
wrath  .  .  .  took  Moses  out  of  their  midst,  and  the  Holy  Priest- 
hood also,"  leaving  them  only  the  lesser  priesthood,  which  "  hold- 
eth  the  key  of  the  ministering  of  angels  and  the  preparatory 
Gospel."  However,  the  term  applies  in  usage  with  equal  pro- 
priety to  all  the  varying  degrees  and  digpities  in  which  the  service 
of  religion  is  expressed;  the  lesser  priesthood  being  considered 
an  "appendage"  to  the  Higher.  In  usage  the  word  'Spriest- 
hood  "  may  designate  the  dignity  of  any  person  holding  an  ordi- 
nation to  office,  although  the  word  "  priest "  is  properly  used  to 
designate  only  one  holding  the  rank  in  the  Aaronic  order.  In 
the  Melchisedek  order,  those  ordained  to  office  are  called  "  eld- 
ers "  and  "  high  priests  " —  the  former  term  being  usual  in  ad- 
dress —  but  never  "  priests." 

"The  second  priesthood  is  called  the  priesthood  of  Aaron,  be- 
cause it  was  conferred  upon  Aaron  and  his  seed,  throughout  all  their 
generations.  Why  it  is  called  the  lesser  priesthood,  is  because  it  is  an 
appendage  to  the  greater  or  the  Melchisedek  Priesthood,  and  has  power 
in  administering  outward  ordinances." — "Doctrine  and  Covenants,  cvii. 
13-14. 

In  order  to  explain  the  matter  as  clearly  as  possible,  it  will  be 
necessary,  at  the  start,  to  specify  the  fact  that  both  orders  of  the 
priesthood  may  be  divided  in  two  ways:  first,  as  to  specific  of- 
fices, involving  certain  definite  duties  and  functions;  second,  as 
to  degree,  or  dignities,  according  to  successive  ordinations,  from 
the  lowest  to  the  highest.  Occasionally,  it  is  difficult  to  dis- 
criminate the  two  perfectly,  since  in  many  cases  a  man,  in  being 
ordained  regularly  to  some  specific  grade  or  dignity,  is  set  apart 
to  some  particular  office  or  "  quorum,"  which  may  rank  him 
above  others  of  his  grade  in  point  of  authority  or  dignity.  How- 
ever, for  the  sake  of  clearness,  the  following  classifications  may 
be  given. 


274  THE  REAL  MORMONISM 

The  Higher  Priesthood  contains  three  distinct  degrees  or  dig- 
nities: (i)  high  priests;  (2)  seventies;  (3)  elders  —  howbeit, 
the  latter  term  applies  in  general  usage  to  any  person  holding  this 
Priesthood.  As  to  offices,  the  Higher  Priesthood  contains,  or 
involves  eligibility  to:  (i)  the  first  presidency;  (2)  the  apostle- 
ship;  (3)  the  patriarchship ;  (4)  stake  presidencies  and  high 
councils;  (5)  the  bishopric.  In  point  of  definite  functions,  the 
eldership  proper  and  the  bishopric  are  considered  as  "  append- 
ages "  to  the  High  Priesthood ;  the  former  as  "  standing  min- 
isters of  the  Church,"  the  latter  as  involving  the  "  presidency  of 
the  lesser  priesthood." 

The  lesser  priesthood,  with  which  the  bishop  is  evidently  as- 
sociated and  identified,  involves  three  proper  degrees  of  its  own : 
(i)  priests;  (2)  teachers;  (3)  deacons,  each  class  with  its 
proper  duties  and  quorums.  The  grades  of  teacher  and  deacon 
are  called  "  necessary  appendages  belonging  to  the  lesser  priest- 
hood "  (Doctrine  and  Covenants,  Ixxxiv.  30),  being,  according 
to  New  Testament  analogy,  regular  assistants  to  the  higher 
grade,  particularly  in  temporal  or  outward  matters,  properly 
local,  as  distinguished  from  the  traveling  duties  of  members  of 
the  Higher  Priesthood.  Accordingly,  the  deacon  is  set  apart 
(i)  to  care  for  the  poor;  (2)  to  collect  money  and  supplies  for 
the  poor  from  private  sources,  also,  for  building  and  maintaining 
houses  of  worship;  (3)  to  care  for,  clean  and  repair  such  houses 
and  their  grounds ;  (4)  to  render  such  general  services  as  may  be 
required  by  those  above  him  in  office  or  authority. 

A  man  holding  the  grade  of  teacher  may  exercise  (i)  any  of 
the  functions  of  a  deacon;  (2)  the  duties  of  a  standing  minister, 
"to  watch  over  the  Church  always,"  exerting  himself  to  be  of 
personal  assistance  to  any  of  its  members,  particularly  in  urging 
them  to  attend  services  and  to  remain  faithful  to  their  religious 
duties;  (3)  to  act  as  "policeman  of  the  Church,"  in  searching 
out  and  discouraging  "  iniquity  "  in  all  its  forms ;  (4)  to  act  as 
peacemaker  between  members  of  the  Church  who  have  dis- 
agreed on  any  matters,  and  to  admonish  such,  and  all  others  who 
may  lapse  from  the  straight  way  of  righteousness;  (5)  "to  warn, 
expound,  exhort  and  teach,  and  invite  all  to  come  to  Christ." 
Neither  the  teacher  nor  the  deacon  may  officiate  in  any  of  the 
ordinances  of  religion,  not  even  in  the  initiatory  rite  of  baptism, 
but  either  of  them  may  ordain  candidates,  who  have  been  prop- 
erly qualified  and  elected,  to  his  own  grade,  but,  properly  enough, 
to  none  above  his  own. 

The  next  higher  grade  is  the  priest,  who  holds  the  Aaronic 
order,  the  fulness  of  which  was  invested  in  John  the  Baptist. 
His  duties  are  authoritatively  set  forth  in  the  following  passage : 


ORGANIZATION  OF  THE  MORMON  CHURCH    275 

"The  priest's  duty  is  to  preach,  teach,  expound,  exhort,  and  bap- 
tize, and  administer  the  sacrament,  and  visit  the  house  of  each  mem- 
ber, and  exhort  them  to  pray  vocally  and  in  secret,  and  attend  to  all 
family  duties;  and  he  may  also  ordain  other  priests,  teachers,  and 
deacons.  And  he  is  to  take  the  lead  of  meetings  when  there  is  no 
elder  present;  but  when  there  is  an  elder  present,  he  is  only  to  preach, 
teach,  expound,  exhort,  and  baptize,  and  visit  the  house  of  each  mem- 
ber, exhorting  them  to  pray  vocally  and  in  secret,  and  attend  to  all 
family  duties.  In  all  these  duties  the  priest  is  to  assist  the  elder  if 
occasion  requires." — Doctrine  and  Covenants,  xx.  46-52. 

In  addition  to  the  strict  rule  that  he  shall  discharge  all  the 
functions  of  his  office  as  assistant  to  an  elder,  when  such  a  per- 
son is  present  in  any  case,  the  priest  may  act  as  a  teacher  or  as  a 
deacon.  He  may  not,  however,  confirm  new  members  by  the 
"  laying-on  of  hands  for  the  gift  of  the  Holy  Ghost,"  since  this 
is  a  right  belonging  exclusively  to  the  higher  priesthood. 

The  scriptural  consistency  of  the  latter  regulation  is  obvious, 
when  we  consider  that  the  Aaronic  priesthood,  although  here  in- 
corporated in  the  Christian  Church  and  discharging  duties  pecul- 
iar to  it,  rather  than  the  duties  prescribed  under  the  Mosaic  Law, 
represents  an  order  prior,  historically,  to  the  manifestation  of  the 
fulness  of  the  Gospel  of  Christ.  Hence,  it  cannot  contain  the 
power  of  imparting  the  gift  of  the  Holy  Ghost.  Again,  this 
sharp  discrimination  between  the  two  priesthoods,  in  point  of 
authority  and  powers,  illustrates  the  statement  of  Christ  regard- 
ing John  the  Baptist,  who  represented  the  culmination  of  the 
"  Old  Order,"  according  to  scripture,  that  *'  he  who  is  least  in 
the  kingdom  of  heaven  is  greater  than  he."  John  baptized, 
hence  baptism  is  a  rite  proper  to  the  priesthood  to  which  he  be- 
longed ;  but  he  himself  testified  that  "  one  cometh  after  me,  who 
shall  baptize  with  the  Holy  Ghost  and  with  fire."  Hence,  the 
"  baptism  of  the  Holy  Ghost "  belongs  exclusively  to  the  Son  of 
God,  and  to  those  who  follow  after  His  "  order,"  His  Apostles 
and  other  authorized  servants,  sharing  with  him  the  "  higher 
priesthood."  Similarly,  also,  the  lesser  priesthood  ministers  in 
the  "  outward  things  of  religion "  and  in  temporal  affairs,  as 
distinguished  from  the  higher  rites  and  mysteries  of  religion, 
peculiarly  reserved  for  the  participation  of  the  Higher  Priest- 
hood. 

The  office  and  dignity  of  a  bishop  forms  a  true  connecting  link 
between  the  two  priesthoods;  since  the  bishopric  is  at  once  the 
presiding  authority  over  the  lesser  priesthood,  and  an  "  append- 
age" to  the  Higher  Priesthood.  The  bishop,  however,  is  not 
chosen  from  the  ranks  of  the  lesser  priesthood,  as  might  be  ex- 
pected, but  is  invariably  a  high  priest  of  the  Melchisedek  Order. 
However,  there  are  two  distinct  ranks  of  bishop:  The  Presid- 
ing Bishop,  who  has  direct  control  of  the  temporal  affairs  and  of 


276  THE  REAL  MORMONISM 

the  lesser  priesthood  in  the  whole  Church,  and  the  numerous 
ward  bishops,  whose  function  in  the  several  wards, —  parishes, 
as  they  would  be  called  in  other  connections  —  is  to  combine  the 
duties  of  pastor  and  administrator.  While  most  of  the  striking 
provisions  of  the  Doctrine  and  Covenants  apply  most  directly  to 
the  former  officer,  or  to  his  prototype  in  the  early  days,  the  gen- 
eral bishop,  the  rule  that  each  man  holding  the  bishopric,  local 
or  general,  shall  be  a  priest  of  the  Higher  Order,  is  invariable. 
Jhe  authoritative  law  relating  to  bishops  is  as  follows : 

"They  shall  be  High  Priests  who  are  worthy,  and  they  shall  be 
appointed  by  the  First  Presidency  of  the  Melchisedek  priesthood, 
except  they  be  literal  descendants  of  Aaron,  and  if  they  be  literal  de- 
scendants of  Aaron,  they  have  a  legal  right  to  the  bishopric,  if  they  are 
the  firstborn  among  the  sons  of  Aaron ;  for  the  firstborn  holds  the  right 
of  the  presidency  over  this  priesthood,  and  the  keys  or  authority  of 
the  same.  No  man  has  a  legal  right  to  this  office  to  hold  the  keys  of 
this  priesthood,  except  he  be  a  literal  descendant  and  the  firstborn 
of  Aaron;  but  as  a  High  Priest  of  the  Melchisedek  Priesthood  has 
authority  to,  officiate  in  all  the  lesser  offices,  he  may  officiate  in  the 
office  of  bishop  when  no  literal  descendant  of  Aaron  can  be  found, 
provided  he  is  called,  and  set  apart  and  ordained  unto  this  power  under 
the  hands  of  the  First  Presidency  of  the  Melchisedek  Priesthood. 
And  a  literal  descendant  of  Aaron,  also,  must  be  designated  by  this 
Presidency,  and  found  worthy,  and  anointed,  and  ordained  under  the 
hands  of  this  Presidency,  otherwise  they  are  not  legally  authorized 
to  officiate  in  their  priesthood ;  but  by  virtue  of  the  decree  concern- 
ing their  right  of  the  priesthood  descending  from  father  to  son,  they 
may  claim  their  anointing,  if  at  any  time  they  can  prove  their  lineage, 
or  do  ascertain  it  by  revelation  from  the  Lord  under  the  hands  of 
the  above  named  Presidency." — Doctrine  and  Covenants,  Ixviii.  15-21. 

In  another  passage  (Sec.  cvii.  y6)  it  is  specified  that  a  "lit- 
eral descendant  of  Aaron,"  when  filling  the  office  of  bishop, 
may,  contrary  to  the  general  rule,  as  will  be  seen  later,  act  with- 
out the  usual  two  counselors,  **  except  in  a  case  where  a  Presi- 
dent of  the  high  priesthood,  after  the  order  of  Melchisedek,  is 
tried,  to  sit  as  a  judge  in  Israel."  Such  rules  are,  however,  in- 
operative, since  no  descendant  of  Aaron  has  ever  claimed  the 
bishopric. 

Since,  as  specified  in  the  Doctrine  and  Covenants,  "a  Hteral 
descendant  and  the  firstborn  of  Aaron  "  is  the  only  person  hav- 
ing "a  legal  right  to  this  office"  of  Presiding  Bishop,  and,  as 
"  the  firstborn  holds  the  right  of  Presidency  over  this  (the  lesser) 
Priesthood,"  in  line  of  heredity  from  father  to  son,  it  is  quite 
evident  that,  in  this  office  we  have,  in  a  very  actual  sense,  the 
restoration  and  continuation  of  the  Jewish  High  Priest,  the 
dignity  first  awarded  to  Aaron,  and  transmitted  by  descent  to  his 
sons. 

The  specified  duties  of  the  Presiding  Bishopric  include:  (i) 
the  presidency  of  the  whole  body  of  the  lesser  priesthood,  with 


ORGANIZATION  OF  THE  MORMON  CHURCH    277 

the  superintendence  over  all  business  and  ordinances  within  its 
sphere;  (2)  the  receiving  and  caring  for  all  the  property  of  the 
Church,  including  the  building  and  care  of  houses  of  v^rorship; 

(3)  necessary  money  disbursements  for  the  relief  of  the  poor; 

(4)  the  superintendence  of  all  Church  enterprises  for  the  pur- 
chase of  lands  and  the  building-up  of  settlements  upon  them. 
He  may  also  act  as  special  judge,  even  in  cases  involving  mem- 
bers of  the  Higher  Priesthood.  In  virtually  all  matters,  how- 
ever, he  acts  in  council  with,  and  under  the  direction  of  the 
First  Presidency  of  the  Church. 

The  duties  of  the  ward  bishop  are  concerned  with  (i)  main- 
taining the  ward  meeting-house,  or  chapel;  (2)  conducting  regu- 
lar services;  (3)  collecting  the  tithes  and  other  offerings  of  the 
people;  (4)  inquiring  into  the  needs  and  conditions  of  the  peo- 
ple, and  distributing  such  aid  as  may  be  required;  (5)  presiding 
over  all  priest's  quorums  in  his  ward.  He  is  also  judge  of  the 
ward  court,  sitting  with  his  two  counselors,  who,  like  himself, 
are  High  Priests  of  the  Melchisedek  order,  specifically  set  apart, 
to  decide  disputes  between  persons  under  his  charge,  or  to  try 
causes  based  upon  accusations  against  any  persons  in  his  ward. 
This  court  has  the  power  to  excommunicate  any  lay  member  or 
any  holder  of  the  lesser  priesthood,  when  convicted  of  grave  of- 
fences, but  may  only  dis fellowship  a  member  of  the  High  Priest- 
hood, when  similarly  convicted  of  grave  offences. 

The  theory  and  constitution  of  the  High  Priesthood,  as  repre- 
senting the  consummation  and  inclusion  of  all  that  is  contained 
in  the  lower  order,  precisely  as  the  Gospel  is  held  to  relate  sim- 
ilarly to  the  Mosaic  Dispensation,  involves  implicit  harmony  with 
what  may  be  held  to  be  the  real  sense  of  Scripture.  This  Priest- 
hood is  not  hereditary,  even  in  theory,  as  should  be  the  highest 
office,  at  least,  in  the  lesser  priesthood,  the  bishopric  —  which 
should  properly  be  held  by  a  "  lineal  descendant  of  Aaron  "  (cf. 
Doctrine  and  Covenants,  Ixviii,  16  and  cvii.  70) — but  is  imparted 
by  the  direct  authority  of  God.  Although,  as  specified  in 
passages  already  quoted,  this  priesthood  was  taken  away  from 
the  Children  of  Israel,  because  of  unbelief,  the  sense  of  authori- 
tative utterances  seems  to  be  that  it  was  imparted  to,  and  held  by, 
some  of  the  various  prophets  of  Israel,  who  evidently  exercised 
some  authority,  as  direct  agents  of  God,  which  was  recognized 
as  superior  to  the  official  priests,  also  to  the  kings  of  Israel,  even 
from  the  earliest  times.  (Cf.  Doctrine  and  Covenants,  cxxxii. 
39.)  It  seems  reasonable,  therefore,  on  the  assumption  that  the 
Dispensation  of  the  Fulness  of  Times  should  include  all  previous 
dispensations,  that  an  order  should  be  recognized,  whose  mem- 
bers "  have  the  privilege  of  receiving  the  mysteries  of  the  king- 


278  THE  REAL  MORMONISM 

dom  of  heaven,  .  .  .  and  to  enjoy  the  communion  and  presence 
of  God  " ;  in  other  words,  to  fill  the  place  of  the  prophets  recog- 
nized in  all  older  dispensations. 

However,  although,  as  distinctly  specified,  the  Melchisedek 
Priesthood  entitles  one  holding  it  to  fill  any  office  in  the  Church, 
even  the  most  exalted,  provided  he  be  "  called  and  sustained " 
in  prescribed  fashion,  there  are  certain  powers  and  dignities 
which  belong  exclusively  to  the  offices,  and  may  not  be  exer- 
cised by  any  elder  or  high  priest,  unless  he  hold  some  such 
office.  This  right  or  authority  to  exercise  special  powers  or 
functions  in  the  Church  comes  by  virtue  of  certain  "  keys,''  or 
official  gifts  or  dignities,  by  which,  as  it  were,  the  doors  of 
divine  favor  may  be  opened.     This  is  explained,  as  follows: 

"  Jesus  said  to  Peter :  *  I  will  give  unto  thee  the  keys  of  the  king- 
dom of  heaven.'  (Matt.  xvi.  19.)  And  he  said  to  Joseph  in  a  reve- 
lation :  *  Unto  you  I  have  given  the  keys  of  the  kingdom.'  (Doc. 
and  Cov.,  Sec.  Ixxxi.  2).  And  in  many  instances  and  at  divers  times 
has  the  Lord  given  his  servants  the  keys  for  special  purposes.  The 
meaning  of  this  term  is  better  explained  by  illustration.  Every  High 
Priest,  for  instance,  is  eligible  to  presidency,  either  as  bishop  or  stake 
president,  or  any  other  presiding  office  in  the  Priesthood;  and  he  has 
all  the  general  authority  he  needs  to  act  in  any  of  the  positions  named. 
But  no  High  Priest  acts  in  a  presiding  capacity  until  he  is  called  and 
inducted  into  office.     {Doc.  and  Cov.,  Sec.  xxvii.  5-13.) 

"  The  Priesthood  gives  a  man  general  authority  to  act  in  the  name 
of  the  Lord;  the  keys  of  the  Priesthood  give  him  the  special  authority 
to  act  or  administer  in  any  particular  office  or  calling.  It  will  be  re- 
membered that  none  of  the  keys  of  the  Priesthood  are  exercised  ex- 
cept through  office." — Joseph  B.  Keeler  {The  Lesser  Priesthood,  etc.,  p. 
74). 

The  respective  duties  of  the  High  Priest  and  the  elder  are  set 
forth  in  the  Doctrine  and  Covenants,  as  follows: 

"High  Priests  after  the  order  of  the  Melchisedek  Priesthood,  have 
a  right  to  officiate  in  their  own  standing,  under  the  direction  of  the 
Presidency,  in  administering  spiritual  things ;  and  also  in  the  office  of 
an  elder,  priest,  (of  the  Levitical  order,)  teacher,  deacon,  and  mem- 
ber. An  elder  has  a  right  to  officiate  in  his  stead  when  the  High 
Priest  is  not  present.  The  High  Priest  and  elder  are  to  administer 
in  spiritual  things,  agreeable  to  the  covenants  and  commandments  of 
the  church;  and  they  have  a  right  to  officiate  in  all  these  offices  of  the 
church  when  there  are  no  higher  authorities  present." — Section  cvii. 
10-12. 

"The  High  Priests  should  travel,  and  also  the  elders,  and  also  the 
lesser  priests;  but  the  deacons  and  teachers  should  be  appointed  to 
watch  over  the  church,  to  be  standing  ministers  unto  the  church." — 
Section  Ixxxiv.  iii. 

"The  elders  are  to  conduct  the  meetings  as  they  are  led  by  the 
Holy  Ghost,  according  to  the  commandments  and  revelations  of  God." 
—  Sec.  XX.  45. 

The  several  grades  or  degrees  of  priestly  or  ecclesiastical  dig- 
nity having  been  thus  outlined  and  described,  we  understand  the 


ORGANIZATION  OF  THE  MORMON  CHURCH    279 

several  varieties  of  material  —  if  such  metaphor  be  proper  — 
which  may  be  arranged  and  correlated  to  constitute  the  organism 
of  the  Church.  For,  as  must  be  evident,  even  a  gradation  of 
dignities  or  degrees,  from  top  to  bottom  of  the  scale,  can  con- 
stitute no  stable  unity,  unless  individuals  are  properly  associated 
and  classified  in  permanent  fashion.  Consequently,  we  find,  as 
a  primary  unit  of  association,  that  every  holder  of  ecclesiastical 
dignity,  high  or  low,  is  related  to  others  of  his  own  grade,  also 
to  the  Church  as  a  whole,  in  the  fact  that  he  is  also  a  member 
of  some  particular  "  quorum."  As  understood  in  the  Mormon 
Church,  this  is  a  class  or  company  of  a  specified  number  of 
members  for  each  grade  —  except  in  the  case  of  the  High  Priests' 
quorums  —  having  a  definite  individual  designation,  local  or  nu- 
merical, each  with  its  own  officers  and  members,  and  its  own 
specific  functions.  The  word,  "  quorum,"  as  here  used,  refers 
to  the  whole  membership  in  any  given  case,  and  not,  as  by  usual 
understanding,  to  a  voting  majority. 

Classifying  all  ordained  members  of  the  Church  by  quorums, 
we  have  several  orders  of  such  bodies.  Thus,  quorums  may  be 
official  and  administrative,  or  primarily  associative  or  educa- 
tional. Also,  there  may  be  general  quorums,  affecting  the  whole 
Church,  and  local  quorums,  belonging  to  some  ward  or  stake  or- 
ganization. The  matter  may  be  best  explained  by  outlining  the 
organization  of  all  such  quorums,  beginning,  as  before,  at  the 
bottom  of  the  scale. 

Thus,  twelve  deacons  form  a  quorum  of  deacons ;  one  of  them 
being  chosen  president,  "  to  sit  in  council  with  them,  and  teach 
them  their  duty  —  edifying  one  another,  as  it  is  given  according 
to  the  Covenants."  (Doc.  and  Cov.  cvii.  85.)  The  president  is 
to  be  assisted  by  two  counselors,  also  chosen  from  the  twelve, 
the  three  composing  the  presidency  of  the  quorum.  Another 
member  is  elected  clerk,  or  secretary.  The  object  of  this  asso- 
ciation, as  above  specified,  is  to  promote  mutual  agreement  and 
cooperation  in  the  performance  of  the  duties  of  deacons.  Con- 
sequently, all  activities  of  the  quorum  are  under  the  superin- 
tendency  of  the  bishop  of  the  ward,  who  is  the  responsible  and 
real  authoritative  head. 

All  quorums  in  the  Church,  except  the  several  councils  of  the 
Seventies,  are  presided  over  in  similar  fashion,  by  a  president 
and  two  counselors;  also  all  Church  societies  and  associations, 
outside  of  the  priesthood  organizations  proper.  This  arrange- 
ment is  a  wise  one,  serving  to  divide  responsibility,  in  great 
measure;  also,  in  assisting  the  presiding  officer  with  constant 
advice  and  counsel  from  perfectly  sympathetic  persons,  ac- 
quainted with  all  situations  involved  in  given  cases. 


28o  THE  REAL  MORMONISM 

The  quorum  of  teachers  consists  of  twenty-four  members, 
from  the  number  of  whom  are  chosen,  in  precisely  similar  fashion, 
a  president,  two  counselors  and  a  clerk.  The  teachers'  quorum 
has  as  its  object  to  promote  cooperation  among  those  holding 
this  grade  of  the  ministry,  and  to  discuss  methods  of  perform- 
ing their  duties.  It  is  also  subject  to  the  direction  and  superin- 
tendence of  the  ward  bishop. 

The  next  higher  quorum,  that  of  the  priests  of  the  Levitical 
order,  consists  of  forty-eight  members,  but,  unlike  the  others, 
chooses  no  president  and  counselors  from  its  number ;  the  bishop 
himself  being  its  presiding  officer  in  his  capacity  of  "president 
over  the  priesthood  of  Aaron." 

Each  quorum  of  ninety-six  elders  has  its  own  president  with 
two  counselors  and  a  clerk,  chosen  from  their  number.  Such 
quorums  are  regularly  organized  by  the  stake  presidency  in  any 
district,  in  which  ninety-six  elders  (or  a  few  more  or  less)  have 
their  residence.  However,  the  elders  resident  in  a  given  ward, 
when  at  home,  usually  associate,  more  or  less  informally,  for  the 
furtherance  of  local  Church  affairs,  under  the  general  super- 
vision of  the  bishop. 

Above  the  elders'  quorums  are  those  of  the  High  Priests, 
whose  membership  is  not  limited,  but  may  include  as  few  or  as 
many  men  holding  this  dignity  as  reside  in  a  given  stake  or  dis- 
trict. Like  all  other  quorums  in  the  Church,  these  organizations 
have  a  president  with  two  counselors  and  a  secretary.  There  are 
also  local  or  ward  divisions,  organized  for  convenience,  but  these 
are  in  no  sense  independent  of  the  stake  or  district  quorum. 
The  object  of  the  High  Priests'  quorum  is  "  self -culture,  dis- 
cipline, and  such  other  spiritual  development  as  shall  prepare 
them  in  every  way  for  the  ministry  of  their  holy  calling." 
(Keeler.)  From  these  quorums,  also,  the  stake  and  ward  of- 
ficers, presidents  and  bishops,  are  regularly  selected  and  ap- 
pointed. 

All  the  quorums  thus  far  described  are  composed  of  persons 
whose  duties,  religious  or  administrative,  keep  them  at  home,  or 
of  persons  not  engaged  in  work  abroad.  The  quorums  of  deacons, 
teachers,  priests  and  elders  include,  as  already  stated,  "  the  stand- 
ing ministry  of  the  Church "  and  their  assistants.  There  is, 
however,  another  rank  of  elders,  whose  calling  includes  the  duty 
of  preaching  the  Gospel  abroad,  as  well  as  at  home,  and  this  is 
known  as  the  Seventy.  The  term  "  Seventy "  indicates  the 
fundamental  principle  of  organization  holding  in  this  rank  or 
office.  Its  quorum  consists  of  seventy  members,  and  is  presided 
over  by  a  presidency  of  seven  presidents,  selected  from  the  mem- 
bers, among  whom  the  president  first  ordained  or  chosen  to  the 


ORGANIZATION  OF  THE  MORMON  CHURCH    281 

office  is  the  presiding  officer  at  all  meetings  or  deliberations. 
The  Seventy  is,  however,  a  general,  as  opposed  to  a  merely  local, 
or  district,  body,  and  acts  through  its  own  presidency,  under  the 
immediate  supervision  of  the  Council  of  the  Twelve  Apostles  of 
the  Church. 

The  organization  of  the  Seventy  was  first  formed  in  the  Mor- 
mon Church  in  harmony  with  the  act  of  Christ  (Luke  x)  in 
appointing  seventy  of  His  disciples  to  go  "  two  and  two  before 
His  face  into  every  city  and  place,  whither  He  himself  would 
come,'*  to  herald  the  Kingdom  of  God.  Although  many  scrip- 
tural commentators  believe  that  the  seventy  disciples  thus  sent 
out  did  not  constitute  a  permanent  body,  some  others,  such  as 
Eusebius  in  his  Ecclesiastical  History  (Chap,  xii)  argue  to  a 
contrary  conclusion.  In  the  Mormon  Church  it  has  always 
proved  an  efficient  and  valuable  institution.  The  outline  of  its 
institution  is  thus  set  forth: 

"  The  seventy  are  .  .  .  called  to  preach  the  gospel,  and  to  be  especial 
witnesses  unto  the  Gentiles  and  in  all  the  world.  .  .  .  The  seventy  are 
to  act  in  the  name  of  the  Lord,  under  the  direction  of  the  Twelve  or 
the  traveling  High  Council,  in  building  up  the  Church  and  regulating 
all  the  affairs  of  the  same  in  all  nations  —  first  unto  the  Gentiles  and 
then  to  the  Jews.  .  .  .  And  it  is  according  to  the  vision,  showing  the 
order  of  the  seventy,  that  they  should  have  seven  presidents  to  pre- 
side over  them,  chosen  out  of  the  number  of  the  seventy;  and  the 
seventh  president  of  these  presidents  is  to  preside  over  the  six;  and 
these  seven  presidents  are  to  choose  other  seventy  besides  the  first 
seventy,  to  whom  they  belong,  and  are  to  preside  over  them;  and 
also  other  seventy,  until  seven  times  seventy,  if  the  labor  in  the  vine- 
yard of  necessity  requires  it.  And  these  seventy  are  to  be  traveling 
ministers  unto  the  Gentiles  first,  and  also  unto  the  Jews." — Doctrine 
and  Covenants,  cvii.  25,  34,  93-97. 

The  presidency  of  the  first  quorum  of  Seventy,  having  the 
power  of  appointing  other  seventies,  as  required,  is  the  supreme 
council  in  the  order.  The  rule  that  the  increase  may  be  "  until 
seven  times  seventy  "  seems  to  have  been  modified  by  later  au- 
thority, by  which  it  was  almost  indefinitely  extended.  Thus, 
according  to  Joseph  Smith's  record,  we  read,  under  date  May  2, 
1835,  as  follows: 

"  If  the  first  Seventy  are  all  employed,  and  there  is  a  call  for  more 
laborers,  it  will  be  the  duty  of  the  seven  presidents  of  the  first  Seventy 
to  call  and  ordain  other  Seventy  and  send  them  forth  to  labor  in  the 
vineyard,  until,  if  needs  be,  they  set  apart  seven  times  seventy,  and 
even  until  there  are  one  hundred  and  forty-four  thousand  thus  set 
apart  for  the  ministry." — History  of  the  Church,  Vol.  ii.  p.  221. 

The  authority  of  the  first  quorum  of  the  Seventy  is  even  more 
exalted,  since,  by  special  law,  it  is  equal  in  authority  to  the  Coun- 
cil of  the  Twelve  Apostles,  in  all  matters  pertaining  to  their  work 
and  office.     This  is  specified,  as  follows: 


282  THE  REAL  MORMONISM 

"  And  they  (the  Seventy)  form  a  quorum  equal  in  authority  to  that 
of  the  Twelve  special  witnesses  or  apostles." — Doctrine  and  Cove- 
nants, cvii.  26. 

"And  in  case  that  any  decision  of  these  quorums  is  made  in  un- 
righteousness, it  may  be  brought  before  a  general  assembly  of  the  sev- 
eral quorums,  which  constitute  the  spiritual  authorities  of  the  church, 
otherwise  there  can  be  no  appeal  from  their  decision." — Ibid.  cvii.  32. 

The  duties  of  the  Seventy,  however,  are  primarily  evangelical. 
They  are  preachers  and  witnesses,  rather  than  administrators  in 
any  proper  sense.  Consequently,  their  part  in  the  organism  of 
the  Church  is  largely  auxiliary  to  the  more  nearly  executive  func- 
tions of  the  Apostolic  quorum.  They  are  the  soldiers  in  the 
field  rather  than  the  governors  and  commanders,  having  the 
supreme  authority  in  directing  campaigns,  as  well  as  special 
movements. 

In  the  organization  of  the  two  highest  quorums  of  the  Church 
we  arrive  at  the  point  where  authority  in  both  religious  and 
temporal,  or  outward,  affairs  of  the  Church  is  centered.  This 
double  authority  is  vested  to  a  certain  extent  in  the  Council  of 
the  Twelve  Apostles,  and  completely  in  the  First  Presidency. 
These  two  quorums  act  together  in  a  very  large  number  of  in- 
stances, although  the  First  Presidency  has  such  wide  powers 
that  the  cooperation  of  the  Apostolic  Quorum  is  virtually  never 
obligatory,  except  in  certain  judicial  sessions,  in  which,  as  spe- 
cified by  law,  the  Presidency  shall  act  in  council  with  a  jury  of 
twelve  high  priests  as  advisers. 

In  their  quorum  of  the  Twelve  Apostles  the  Latter-day  Saints 
maintain,  as  a  permanent  institution,  another  primitive  order, 
which  traditional  bodies  have  supposed  to  be  merely  temporary, 
and  of  significance  only  for  the  early  Church.  The  Mormon 
claim  that,  on  the  contrary,  this  "  quorum,"  as  originally  estab- 
lished by  Christ,  was  intended  to  persist,  gains  some  probability 
from  the  act  of  the  eleven  survivors  in  electing  Matthias  as  suc- 
cessor to  Judas  Iscariot ;  also,  from  the  fact  that  St.  Paul  main- 
tains the  unchallenged  claim  to  apostleship,  thus  suggesting  his 
election  to  fill  some  other  vacancy.  On  the  theory  that  this  body 
was  to  be  permanent  and  self -perpetuating,  its  restoration,  with 
the  restored  Church,  seems  logical,  if  not  inevitable. 

The  word  apostle  is  used  several  times  in  authoritative  Mor- 
mon documents  before  the  formal  establishment,  or  reestablish- 
ment,  as  they  claim,  of  the  Twelve.  Thus,  in  a  revelation  dated 
in  June,  1829,  Oliver  Cowdery  is  addressed  in  the  following 
words : 

"I  speak  unto  you,  even  as  unto  Paul  mine  apostle,   for  you  are 

called  even  with  that  same  calling  with  which  he  was  called." — Doc- 

trine  and  Covenants,  xviii.  9. 


ORGANIZATION  OF  THE  MORMON  CHURCH    283 

Similarly,  in  a  revelation  dated  in  April,  1830,  and  referring 
to  the  "  will  and  commandments  of  God,"  in  regard  to  the  or- 
ganization of  the  Church,  the  following  passages  occur: 

"  Which  commandments  were  given  to  Joseph  Smith,  jun.,  who  was 
called  of  God,  and  ordained  an  apostle  of  Jesus  Christ,  to  be  the 
first  elder  of  this  Church ;  and  to  Oliver  Cowdery,  who  was  also  called 
of  God,  an  apostle  of  Jesus  Christ,  to  be  the  second  elder  of  this 
church." — Doctrine  and  Covenants,  xx.  2-3. 

The  following  formal  command  to  organize  the  quorum  of  the 
Twelve  Apostles  was  given  in  June,  1829,  although  the  organi- 
zation did  not  take  place  until  February,  1836. 

"And  now,  behold,  there  are  others  who  are  called  to  declare  my 
gospel,  both  unto  Gentile  and  unto  Jew ;  yea,  even  Twelve,  and  the 
Twelve  shall  be  my  disciples,  and  they  shall  take  upon  them  my  name; 
and  the  Twelve  are  they  who  shall  desire  to  take  upon  them  my  name 
with  full  purpose  of  heart;  and  if  they  desire  to  take  upon  them  my 
name  with  full  purpose  of  heart,  they  are  called  to  go  into  all  the 
world  to  preach  my  gospel  unto  every  creature;  and  they  are  they 
who  are  ordained  of  me  to  baptize  in  my  name,  according  to  that  which 
is  written.  .  .  .  And  now  I  speak  unto  you  the  Twelve  —  Behold,  my 
grace  is  sufficient  for  you :  you  must  walk  uprightly  before  me  and 
sin  not.  And,  behold,  you  are  they  who  are  ordained  of  me  to  or- 
dain priests  and  teachers ;  to  declare  my  gospel,  according  to  the  power 
of  the  Holy  Ghost  which  is  in  you,  and  according  to  the  callings  and 
gifts  of  God  unto  men.  .  .  .  And  now,  behold,  I  give  unto  you  Oliver 
Cowdery,  and  also  unto  David  Whitmer,  that  you  shall  search  out  the 
Twelve,  who  shall  have  the  desires  of  which  I  have  spoken;  and  by 
their  desires  and  their  works  you  shall  know  them ;  and  when  you  have 
found  them  you  shall  show  these  things  unto  them." —  Doctrine  and  Cov- 
enants, xviii.  26-29,  31,  32,  37-39. 

The  duties  of  the  Apostles  are  also  fully  explained  in  several 
passages,  as  follows : 

"An  apostle  is  an  elder,  and  it  is  his  calling  to  baptize,  .  .  .  and  to 
administer  bread  and  wine  —  the  emblems  of  the  flesh  and  blood  of 
Christ  —  and  to  confirm  those  who  are  baptized  into  the  church,  by 
the  laying  on  of  hands  for  the  baptism  of  fire  and  the  Holy  Ghost, 
according  to  the  scriptures;  and  to  teach,  expound,  exhort,  baptize, 
and  watch  over  the  church ;  and  to  confirm  the  church  by  the  laying  on 
of  the  hands,  and  the  giving  of  the  Holy  Ghost,  and  to  take  the  head  of 
all  meetings." — Doctrine  and  Covenants,  xx.  3^-44. 

"The  Twelve  traveling  counselors  are  called  to  be  the  Twelve 
apostles,  or  special  witnesses  of  the  name  of  Christ  in  all  the  world; 
thus  differing  from  other  officers  in  the  church  in  the  duties  of  their 
calling.  And  they  form  a  quorum,  equal  in  authority  and  power  to 
the  three  Presidents.  .  .  .  The  Twelve  are  a  traveling  presiding  High 
Council,  to  officiate  in  the  name  of  the  Lord,  under  the  direction  of 
the  Presidency  of  the  church,  agreeable  to  the  institution  of  heaven ; 
to  build  up  the  church,  and  regulate  all  the  affairs  of  the  same  in 
all  nations ;  first  unto  the  Gentiles,  and  secondly  unto  the  Jews.  .  .  . 
The  Twelve  being  sent  out,  holding  the  keys,  to  open  the  door  by  the 
proclamation  of  the  gospel  of  Jesus  Christ  —  and  first  unto  the  Gen- 
tiles and  then  unto  the  Jews.  ...  It  is  the  duty  of  the  traveling  High 
Council  to  call  upon  the  Seventy,  when  they  need  assistance,  to  fill  the 


2S4  THE  REAL  MORMONISM 

several  calls  for  preaching  and  administering  the  gospel,  instead  of 
any  others.  ...  It  is  the  duty  of  the  Twelve  also  to  ordain  and  set 
in  order  all  the  other  officers  of  the  church.  .  .  .  Whosoever  ye  shall 
send  in  my  name,  by  the  voice  of  your  brethren,  the  Twelve,  duly  rec- 
ommended and  authorized  by  you,  shall  have  power  to  open  the  door 
of  my  kingdom  unto  any  nation  whithersoever  ye  shall  send  them." — 
Ibid.  cvii.  23-24,  33,  35,  38,  58;  cxii.  21. 

Although,  as  stated  above,  the  Twelve  Apostles  "  form  a 
quorum,  equal  in  authority  and  power  to  the  three  Presidents," 
their  activities  are  always  directed  by  the  Presidency,  except 
when,  as  the  Traveling  High  Council,  they  are  abroad.  In  this 
case  there  is  no  appeal  from  their  decisions,  except  upon  allega- 
tion and  proof  of  "  unrighteousness"  (Doc.  and  Cov.  cii.  30-33). 
It  may  seem  a  strange  fact  that,  in  so  stable  and  well-working 
an  organization  as  that  of  the  Mormon  Church,  there  should  be 
several  quorums  with  specified  equal  authority.  A  question 
would  logically  occur  to  any  mind,  as  to  how  the  First  Quorum 
of  the  Seventy  could  be  equal  in  authority  to  the  Quorum  of  the 
Apostles,  and,  that,  in  turn,  to  the  Quorum  of  the  First  Presi- 
dency, and,  yet,  that  the  three  bodies  should  interact  with  good 
harmony.  The  matter  is  still  further  aggravated  by  the  law  re- 
garding the  stake  high  councils,  which,  as  we  shall  see  later,  are 
in  the  several  divisions  what  the  Apostles  are  to  the  whole 
Church.     Thus : 

"The  standing  High  Councils,  at  the  Stakes  of  Zion,  form  a  quorum 
equal  in  authority,  in  the  affairs  of  the  church,  in  all  their  decisions, 
to  the  quorum  of  the  Presidency,  or  to  the  traveling  High  Council. 
The  High  Council  in  Zion,  form  a  quorum  equal  in  authority,  in  the 
affairs  of  the  church,  in  all  their  decisions,  to  the  Councils  of  the 
Twelve  at  the  Stakes  of  Zion." — Doctrine  and  Covenants,  cvii.  36-37. 

Instead  of  being  contradictory,  however,  the  matter  is  really 
surprisingly  logical,  and  also  exhibits  most  effectively  the  real 
genius  of  the  Mornion  Church.  The  explanation  of  the  matter 
lies  in  the  fact  that  peculiar  duties  and  dignities  attach  to  the 
several  offices,  as  already  suggested,  and  that,  although  certain 
other  quorums,  under  certain  definite  conditions  and  within  just 
limits  of  authority,  may  be  equal  to  those  ranked  above  them, 
the  higher  quorums  hold  "  keys "  to  powers  and  dignities,  not 
shared  by  those  beneath  them  in  the  scale.  Consequently,  the 
rulings  and  decisions  of  the  higher  quorums  are  respected  and 
accepted  from  the  fact  that,  as  is  the  accepted  belief,  they  par- 
take of  a  measure  of  divine  authority  proportionate  to  the  dig- 
nity of  the  quorum  from  which  they  emanate.  Thus,  with 
nearly  uniform  regularity,  nominations  for  offices  originate  in 
or  are  approved  by  the  First  Presidency,  which  is  the  recognized 
medium  of  divine  authority.     All   such  nominations,   however. 


ORGANIZATION  OF  THE  MORMON  CHURCH    285 

are  voted  upon,  and,  from  time  to  time,  regularly  **  sustained  " 
by  the  people  of  the  Church. 

Numerous  critics  of  the  Mormon  system,  evidently  moved  by 
a  desire  to  find  fault  rather  than  to  represent  matters  truthfully, 
have  argued  that  this  curious  cooperation  of  theocratic  authority 
and  democratic  autonomy  is  nothing  other  than  centralized  abso- 
lutism with  a  pretence  of  popular  government.  They  assert,  in 
short,  that  the  general  vote  to  establish  or  "  sustain  "  any  man 
in  an  exalted  office  is  obtained  by  "  fear  "  (of  ostracism,  at  least), 
and  is,  in  no  sense,  freely  accorded.  Such  a  criticism  could  be 
based  only  upon  utter  ignorance  of  this  system,  or  else  upon 
deliberate  misrepresentation.  It  also  overlooks  the  fact,  evident 
upon  proper  examination,  that  the  belief  in  the  divine  authority 
of  the  "  keys  "of  office  in  the  Church  is  perfectly  sincere  and 
vitally  real  in  the  minds  of  these  people.  Leaving  this  out  of 
account,  a  study  of  the  organization  of  the  Church  shows  most 
definitely  that  the  theoretical  equality  of  the  several  governing 
quorums  must,  under  any  other  conditions,  furnish  a  ready 
source  of  disagreement  and  partisan  politics.  In  short,  without 
the  belief  in  the  divine  authority  back  of  the  higher  quorums, 
the  system  could  not  work  at  all.  The  people  vote  together, 
with  such  singular  unanimity,  because  they  have  full  confidence 
in  the  wisdom  and  righteousness  of  those  set  above  them  offi- 
cially; also,  because  they  recognize  that  the  faithful  discharge  of 
official  duties  is  a  matter  of  greater  importance  than  the  consid- 
eration of  preferring  one  person,  rather  than  another,  in  any 
given  dignity.  However,  the  accusation  of  unrighteousness,  as 
shown  by  indulgence  in  any  sin  or  crime,  is  always  recognized 
as  a  sufficient  reason  for  reconsidering  any  nomination,  or  for 
withholding  a  vote  to  sustain  any  one  already  in  an  office,  even 
the  First  Presidency  of  the  whole  Church.  This  principle  is 
set  forth,  as  follows,  in  an  address  by  President  Anthon  H. 
Lund,  at  the  organization  of  the  Liberty  Stake  of  Zion,  Febru- 
ary 26,  1904: 

"  In  voting,  you  are  free  to  vote  as  you  choose.  Some  have  ac- 
cused us  of  all  voting  the  one  way,  and  that  voting  of  the  '  Mormons ' 
was  a  sham.  Well,  you  know  better  than  this,  my  brethren  and 
sisters.  The  order  of  the  Church  is  that  the  Priesthood  has  the  right 
to  nominate;  but,  .  .  .  everything  is  done  by  common  consent.  It  is 
your  right  to  vote  for  or  against  the  person  or  persons  presented.  If 
you  do  not  know  of  any  crime  or  sin  against  the  men,  be  careful  not 
to  oppose  them.  But  if  you  know  of  transgression,  it  is  not  only 
your  right  but  your  duty  to  vote  against  them.  Let  not  personal  feel- 
ing move  you  to  oppose  any  presented  before  you  to-night,  or  in  any 
of  our  conferences." — Deseret  Evening  News,  February  27,  1904. 

From  another  point  of  view,  also,  the  equality  in  authority  of 


s86  THE  REAL  MORMONISM 

the  several  governing  quorums  is  a  wise  provision  —  the  offices 
of  the  Church  could  always  be  completely  filled,  in  the  extraor- 
dinary event  that  some  catastrophe  should  eliminate  the  First 
Presidency  and  the  Apostles.  As  a  matter  of  fact,  this  is  pre- 
cisely the  contingency  distinctly  provided  for  in  the  organization 
of  a  new  First  Presidency.  Upon  the  death  of  the  President, 
the  First  Presidency  is  dissolved,  the  two  counselors  of  the  Pres- 
ident taking  their  places  in  the  Quorum  of  the  Twelve  Apostles, 
if  they  had  been  Apostles,  or,  if  not,  in  their  proper  High  Priests' 
quorums.  The  Twelve  then  become  the  governing  body  in  the 
Church,  assuming  its  equality  of  authority  with  the  First  Presi- 
dency, and  proceeds,  as  soon  as  possible,  to  form  a  new  Presi- 
dency. After  the  death  of  President  Young,  the  Apostles  ruled 
the  Church  for  three  years ;  after  the  death  of  President  Taylor, 
for  two  years.  In  both  cases  the  choice  of  the  successor  was 
by  the  exercise  of  the  power  of  receiving  revelations,  then  trans- 
ferred to  the  Apostolic  Quorum,  but  the  choice,  thus  determined, 
was  ratified  by  the  entire  body  of  the  Church  membership,  vot- 
ing in  public  meetings.  In  the  event  that  a  new  President  is 
chosen  and  sustained  by  general  vote,  he  succeeds  to  the  "  keys  " 
and  powers  inherent  in  the  office,  and  these  are,  accordingly, 
withdrawn  from  the  Twelve. 

The  supreme  authority  in  the  Church  is  vested  in  the  Presi- 
dent, who,  with  his  counselors,  accordingly,  holds  the  presidency 
over  both  priesthoods  and  of  all  quorums  in  the  Church,  and  is 
recognized  as  the  directing  head  of  all  activities,  both  spirit- 
ual and  temporal.  His  dignities  include,  therefore,  that  of 
"  prophet,  seer,  revelator  and  translator,"  the  authorized  medium 
for  imparting  the  will  and  counsels  of  God  to  the  Church;  the 
"  Presiding  High  Priest  over  the  High  Priesthood  of  the 
Church,"  holding  all  the  "  keys  "  of  all  the  "  sealing  ordinances  " ; 
Trustee-in-Trust  of  the  Church,  holding  title  to  all  general 
Church  property,  and  authorizing  all  disbursements.  Officially 
and  personally,  he  may  act  in  the  capacity  of  lawgiver,  executive 
and  judge,  and  may  officiate  in  any  and  all  functions  of  either 
priesthood,  should  he  so  desire.  His  relation,  in  short,  to  the 
Church  as  a  whole  is  that  of  Moses  to  the  Israelites. 

The  President,  however,  although  the  bearer  of  such  great 
and  numerous  dignities  and  authorities,  regularly  acts^  with  two 
counselors,  like  any  other  President  of  any  organization  or 
quorum  of  the  Church ;  habitually,  also,  with  the  Council  of  the 
Twelve  Apostles.  His  counselors,  chosen  by  himself  from  the 
number  of  the  Apostles  or  High  Priests,  are  also  known  by  the 
title  of  president,  the  three  forming  the  First  Presidency  of  the 
Church.     These  counselors  participate  in  the  authority  and  dig- 


ORGANIZATION  OF  THE  MORMON  CHURCH    287 

nity  of  the  President  only  through  official  association  with  him. 
They  are  not  properly  vice-presidents,  except  in  the  temporary 
absence  of  the  President,  when  they  may  discharge  some  of  his 
administrative  functions,  nor  do  they  continue  in  office  after  his 
decease. 

The  President,  also,  in  a  very  real  sense,  holds  his  office  "  dur- 
ing good  behaviour,"  since,  in  spite  of  the  exalted  character  of 
his  dignities,  his  conduct  must  always  be  above  all  reproach. 
The  definite  and  extended  provisions,  made  to  meet  the  contin- 
gency of  his  failure  in  this  respect,  sufficiently  exemplify  the 
fact  that  the  Mormon  idea  of  theocracy  involves  no  notion  of 
monarchic  absolutism.  It  also  exhibits  to  a  marked  degree  the 
actual  influence  of  the  rank  and  file  in  matters  governmental  and 
administrative.  The  curious  blending  of  theocracy  and  democ- 
racy in  the  government  of  the  Church  achieves  its  most  surpris- 
ing climax  in  the  provisions  that  the  regularly  appointed  agent 
of  divine  authority  may  be  displaced  on  the  proof  of  charges 
based  on  merely  human  testimony,  against  his  character  and 
behaviour.  It  examples  the  fact  that  all  believers  partake  of 
the  divine  authority  of  their  highest  officers,  imparted  with  the 
g^ft  of  the  Holy  Ghost  and  other  endowments. 

Thus,  as  already  specified,  the  Council  of  the  Twelve  Apos- 
tles in  their  decisions  are  equal  to  the  First  Presidency,  and  the 
same  is  true  of  the  decisions  of  the  first  quorum  of  the  Seventy. 
The  proviso  is  made,  however,  that 

"  every  member  in  each  quorum  must  be  agreed  to  its  decisions,  in  order 
to  make  their  decisions  of  the  same  power  or  validity  one  with  the  other. 
(A  majority  may  form  a  quorum,  when  circumstances  render  it  impos- 
sible to  be  otherwise.)  Unless  this  is  the  case,  their  decisions  are  not 
entitled  to  the  same  blessing  which  the  decisions  of  a  quorum  of 
three  Presidents  were  anciently,  who  are  ordained  after  the  order 
of  Melchisedek,  and  were  righteous  and  holy  men.  The  decisions 
of  these  quorums,  or  either  of  them,  are  to  be  made  in  all  righteousness, 
in  holiness,  and  lowliness  of  heart,  meekness  and  long-suffering,  and  in 
faith,  and  virtue,  and  knowledge,  temperance,  patience,  godliness,  broth- 
erly kindness  and  charity ;  because  the  promise  is,  if  these  things  abound 
in  them,  they  shall  not  be  unfruitful  in  the  knowledge  of  the  Lord.  And 
in  case  that  any  decision  of  these  quorums  is  made  in  unrighteousness,  it 
may  be  brought  before  a  general  assembly  of  the  several  quorums, 
which  constitute  the  spiritual  authorities  of  the  church,  otherwise  there 
can  be  no  appeal  from  their  decision." —  Doctrine  and  Covenants,  cvii.  27- 
32. 

That  the  unanimous  decision  of  either,  or  both,  these  quorums 
should  suffice  to  constitute  a  case  against  the  Quorum  of  the 
First  Presidency,  or  any  member  of  it,  is  evident.  However, 
the  matter  is  definitely  treated  in  the  following  laws: 

"  And  inasmuch  as  a  President  of  the  High  Priesthood  shall  transgress, 
he  shall  be  had  in  remembrance  before  the  common  council  of  the  church, 


288  THE  REAL  MORMONISM 

who  shall  be  assisted  by  twelve  counselors  of  the  High  Priesthood ;  and 
their  decision  upon  his  head  shall  be  an  end  of  controversy  concerning 
him.  Thus,  none  shall  be  exempted  from  the  justice  and  the  laws  of 
God,  that  all  things  may  be  done  in  order  and  in  solemnity  before  him, 
according  to  truth  and  righteousness.  .  .  .  He  that  is  slothful  shall  not 
be  counted  worthy  to  stand,  and  he  that  learns  not  his  duty  and  shows 
himself  not  approved,  shall  not  be  counted  worthy  to  stand." —  Ibid.,  cvii. 
82-84,  100. 

The  procedure  to  be  followed  in  such  an  extraordinary  case  is 
outlined  as  follov^^s: 

"  It  will  be  observed  here  that  even  a  President  of  the  Church  may  be 
impeached  or  tried  for  transgression.  The  law  has  been  made  to  reach 
all  —  officers  and  members  alike.  Three  counselors  to  President  Joseph 
Smith  were  rejected  by  the  Church  and  afterward  tried  and  excornmun- 
icated  on  the  charge  of  apostasy  and  treachery:  namely,  Frederick  G. 
Williams,  March  17,  1839;  William  Law,  April  18,  1844;  and  Sidney  Rig- 
don,  Sept.  8.  1844. 

"  The  law  and  order  of  the  Church  is,  that  when  a  President  of  the 
High  Priesthood,  who  is  also  President  of  the  Church,  is  tried,  it  shall 
be  before  a  '  common  council ' —  that  is,  a  council  or  court  of  twelve  High 
Priests.  A  High  Council,  or  a  common  council,  organized  for  this  pur- 
pose is  presided  over  by  the  Presiding  Bishop  of  the  Church.  (D.  &  C. 
sec.  107,  76.)  The  trial  of  Sidney  Rigdon,  for  example,  was  held  before 
Bishop  Whitney,  a  Presidency  of  the  Nauvoo  Stake  of  Zion,  nine  High 
Councillors  of  that  Stake,  and  three  other  High  Priests. 

"If  condemned  by  such  a  court,  the  extreme  penalty  would  be  severance 
from  the  Church ;  and  a  less  penalty  might  be  the  withdrawal  of  the  keys, 
rights,  and  powers  of  the  Presidency." — Joseph  B.  Keeler,  {The  Les- 
ser Priesthood,  etc.,  pp.  97-98.) 

The  general  officers  of  the  Church  exercise  their  authority 
and  leadership  through  the  several  orders  of  district  and  local 
executives,  each  of  whom  has  definite  powers  and  responsibili- 
ties. Thus,  directly  beneath  the  First  Presidency  are  the  Presi- 
dency and  High  Council  of  each  separate  stake,  and  beneath 
these,  again,  as  far  as  concerns  spiritual  and  general  administra- 
tive affairs,  are  the  ward  presidencies,  composed  of  the  bishops 
and  their  counselors.  The  bishops  owe  a  double  allegiance  to 
superior  authorities,  consisting,  however,  in  the  fact  that  they 
fill  a  double  capacity  in  relation  to  the  people  in  their  charges. 
So  far  as  concerns  outward  and  temporal  affairs,  the  ward 
bishop,  as  local  president  of  the  lesser  priesthood,  is  directly  re- 
sponsible to  the  Presiding  Bishop  of  the  whole  Church,  to  whom 
he  must  render  regular  accounts  of  his  stewardship  in  business 
matters.  In  such  concerns  the  bishop,  however,  reports  through 
the  stake  Presidency.  But  in  the  spiritual  matters  of  the  ward 
the  stake  President,  with  his  council,  directs  the  actions  of  the 
ward  president,  or  bishop,  and  also  in  general  matters,  to  the 
extent,  at  least,  that  the  affairs  of  one  ward  bear  relation  to 
others  in  the  stake. 

The  district  subdivision  of  Church  government,  known  as  the 


ORGANIZATION  OF  THE  MORMON  CHURCH    289 

**  stake,"  is  in  many  particulars  analogous  to  one  of  the  separate 
states  of  the  American  republic.  Just  as  each  state  has  its  gov- 
ernor, corresponding,  within  his  limits  of  authority,  to  the  Presi- 
dent of  the  tjnited  States;  and,  just  as  each  state  has  its  legis- 
lature of  two  houses,  corresponding  to  the  Federal  Congress,  so 
each  separate  stake  of  the  Mormon  Church  has  its  presidency, 
consisting  of  the  President  and  his  two  counselors,  and  the  High 
Council  of  twelve  High  Priests,  corresponding,  respectively,  to 
the  First  Presidency  of  the  whole  Church,  and  the  Council  of 
the  Twelve  Apostles.  Indeed,  as  has  been  often  remarked,  the 
stake  is  the  "  Church  in  miniature." 

The  use  of  the  word,  "  stake,"  to  indicate  a  subdivision  of 
territory,  is  peculiar  to  the  terminology  of  the  Mormon  Church, 
and  is  based  on  a  metaphor  found  several  times  in  the  Old  Testa- 
ment scriptures.  Just  as  a  tent  is  held  up  by  cords  attached  to 
stakes  driven  in  the  ground,  so  a  separate  centre  of  power  and 
authority  is  represented  by  this  word,  as  indicating  a  source  of 
strength  and  stability  to  the  total  structure  of  the  Church.  This 
is  explained  as  follows: 

"  Isaiah  uses  it  (stakes)  as  a  figure  of  speech  in  which  he  makes  Jeru- 
salem a  tent  with  its  stakes  and  cords  stretching  out  the  curtains,  and 
the  stakes  marking  off  the  boundary  of  space  the  tent  occupies.  "  Look 
upon  Zion,  the  city  of  our  solemnities;  thine  eyes  shall  see  Jerusalem 
a  quiet  habitation,  a  tabernacle  that  shall  not  be  taken  down ;  not  one  of 
the  stakes  thereof  shall  ever  be  removed,  neither  shall  any  of  the  cords 
thereof  be  broken."  (Isa.  xxxiii:  20).  Again,  prophesying  of  Israel 
when  in  the  latter  times  they  would  need  more  room,  he  says :  *  Enlarge 
the  place  of  thy  tent,  and  let  them  stretch  forth  the  curtains  of  thine 
habitations:  spare  not,  lengthen  thy  cords,  and  strengthen  thy  stakes.' 
(Isa.  liv.  2).  The  implied  comparison  in  this  metaphor  is  that  the  stakes 
and  cords  mark  off  or  broaden  the  boundary  of  their  habitation.  The 
Lord  uses  similar  language  in  a  revelation :  '  For  Zion  must  increase  in 
beauty,  and  in  holiness :  her  borders  must  be  enlarged,  her  stakes  must 
be  strengthened.'  (Doc.  and  Cov.  Ixxxii:  14).  'Until  the  day  cometh 
when  there  shall  be  found  no  more  room  for  them ;  and  then  I  have  other 
places  which  I  will  appoint  unto  them,  and  they  shall  be  called  Stakes  for 
the  curtains  or  for  the  strength  of  Zion.'  {Ibid.,  ci:  21)." — /.  B.  Keeler, 
{The  Lesser  Priesthood,  etc.,  pp.  62-63.) 

The  stake  President  and  his  two  counselors,  as  well  as  the 
high  council  of  twelve  members,  are  nominated  by  the  First 
Presidency  of  the  Church,  and  then  voted  upon  by  the  people  of 
the  stake  in  their  stated  conferences.  The  choice  of  the  First 
Presidency  is  made,  of  course,  upon  mature  consideration  of  the 
character  and  fitness  of  the  candidates,  and  may  be  vetoed  by 
the  vote  of  the  people,  upon  allegation  and  proof  of  charges  suf- 
ficiently grave  to  constitute  definite  disqualification.  These  of- 
ficers, when  once  properly  elected  by  popular  vote,  have,  as  al- 
ready specified,  a  judicial  authority  within  their  own  district 


290  THE  REAL  MORMONISM 

equal  to  that  of  the  general  authorities  of  the  Church.  (Doc. 
and  Cov.  cvii:36-37.) 

The  stake  Presidency  has  authority  over  the  spiritual  and 
educational  affairs  of  the  district,  including  the  recommendation 
of  missionaries  for  foreign  work,  the  selection  of  home  mission- 
aries within  the  stake,  and  the  direction  of  the  latter,  also,  all 
matters  relating  to  the  moral,  spiritual  and  temporal  welfare  of 
the  people.  They  act  somewhat  as  the  bishops  of  prelatical 
churches  in  the  scope  of  their  powers,  also  in  their  relationships 
to  the  ward  presidents,  or  bishops,  who  correspond  to  the  parish 
priests  of  such  bodies.  The  stake  Presidency  also  exercises 
direct  regular  supervision  over  all  stake  quorums,  such  as  those 
of  the  High  Priests  and  elders;  these  being  regularly  organized 
under  stake  auspices,  and  belonging  to  the  stake,  rather  than  to 
the  ward,  although,  as  occasionally  happens,  one  or  more  quor- 
ums, as  of  elders,  may  exist  within  the  limits  of  a  ward. 

Apart  from  general  administrative  affairs,  the  stake  Presidency 
regularly  presides  at  the  monthly  priesthood  meeting  and  at  the 
quarterly  conferences  of  stake  membership,  both  of  which  are 
important  functions  in  the  religious  and  community  life  of  the 
district.  At  the  priesthood  meeting,  which  is  a  sort  of  stake 
senate,  the  reports  of  the  bishops  and  communications  from  the 
First  Presidency,  and  other  general  authorities,  are  received  and 
read,  and  matters  of  doctrine  and  stake  administration  are  dis- 
cussed and  acted  upon.  While  distinctly  a  deliberative,  and,  to 
a  considerable  extent,  also,  a  legislative  body,  the  monthly  meet- 
ing is  of  primary  importance  in  promoting  mutual  understand- 
ing and  cooperation  among  persons  holding  the  priesthood  in  the 
stake,  who  thus  enjoy  the  advantages  of  association  with  others 
outside  of  their  own  wards  and  quorums.  In  short,  it  is  one  of 
the  most  effective  means  for  promoting  mutual  understanding 
and  maintaining  a  spirit  of  unity  among  members  of  the  priest- 
hood. 

Of  scarcely  less  importance,  and  of  somewhat  greater  interest 
to  the  general  public  is  the  quarterly  conference  of  the  entire 
membership  of  the  stake.  At  such  meetings  the  people  of  the 
stake,  men  and  women,  priesthood  and  laity,  exercise  the  right 
of  voting  upon  all  matters  in  discussion,  that  affect  them  spir- 
itually or  temporally.  Among  such  matters  are  the  elections  of 
general  and  stake  officers,  who,  as  previously  explained,  are 
regularly  nominated  by  the  First  Presidency,  and  then  submitted 
to  the  votes  of  the  people  in  conference.  General  and  stake  of- 
ficers already  in  office  are  also  regularly  "  sustained  '*  in  these 
conferences,  their  names  being  presented,  as  if  for  original  elec- 
tion, and  voted  upon  by  the  entire  membership. 


ORGANIZATION  OF  THE  MORMON  CHURCH    291 

Such  opportunities  to  "  sustain,"  or  reject,  any  officer  what- 
ever, occurring  four  times  in  a  year,  give  clear  indication  of  the 
feelings  of  the  people,  also  of  the  continued  faithfulness  of  the 
officers.  Undoubtedly  many  people  in  the  Church  have  strong 
personal  objections  to  some  of  those  set  over  them  in  office; 
however,  the  rule  is  strictly  observed  that  only  proved  unworthi- 
ness  or  unfaithfulness  in  an  officer  is  sufficient  ground  for  im- 
peachment, or  even  of  failure  to  sustain  him  formally.  There 
can  be  no  doubt  but  what  such  disaffection  as  would  lead  to  non- 
election  of  an  officer,  or  the  failure  to  sustain  him  in  any  given 
stake,  would  be  made  the  subject  of  serious  investigation  and 
earnest  efforts  at  reconciliation,  in  case  of  non-proof  of  charges 
made.  Nor,  in  other  points  of  view,  is  the  voting  of  the  Mor- 
mon people  in  any  sense  perfunctory,  or  an  unmeaning  perform- 
ance. To  be  sure,  the  right  of  nomination  is  not  vested  in  the 
ranks,  which  ratify,  rather  than  initiate  in  this  matter,  but  this 
appears  in  some  real  senses  a  distinct  contribution  to  stable  and 
effective  government,  and  in  no  way  really  undemocratic.  That 
this  is  true  must  be  obvious,  when  we  consider  that  the  moral 
end  of  government  is  proper  administration  of  public  affairs, 
and  not  the  gratification  of  personal  or  party  ambitions.  Thus, 
in  France,  for  example,  the  President  is  elected  by  the  Senate, 
rather  than  by  popular  vote,  and  this  procedure  has  resulted  in 
no  conspicuous  miscarriages  of  judgment.  Also,  as  contem- 
plated by  the  United  States  Constitution,  the  President  is  chosen 
by  the  College  of  Electors,  which,  in  turn,  is  chosen  by  popular 
vote.  Originally,  the  members  of  this  College  had  complete 
freedom  of  choice,  as  the  delegates  or  representatives  of  the  peo- 
ple, who  left  the  matter  entirely  to  their  judgment.  But,  with 
the  growth  of  partisan  politics,  not  wholly  an  improvement  on 
the  original  plan,  their  functions  gradually  became  merely 
formal.  At  present,  unofficial  cliques  and  "  machines  "  largely 
engineer  the  nomination  and  election  of  public  officers,  and  the 
people  have  no  choice  but  to  ratify  or  reject  their  candidates  at 
the  polls.  Our  party  government  scheme  is  too  often  tainted 
with  considerations  quite  foreign  to  real  statesmanship;  and  this 
is  the  penalty  that  we  must  pay  for  the  doubtful  privilege  of 
choosing  our  executive  officers  more  or  less  directly.  Further- 
more, we  have  no  right  of  voting  periodically  to  "  sustain  "  or 
displace  any  unfaithful  or  unworthy  officials;  the  impeachment 
or  removal  of  such  an  one  in  a  high  office  being  a  difficult  and 
tedious  process.  We  may  judge,  therefore,  whether  the  "  Mor- 
mon "  system,  which  certainly  works  very  far  toward  the  end  of 
incurring  faithful  and  competent  officers  in  important  positions, 
is  so  very  undemocratic,  after  all. 


292  THE  REAL  MORMONISM 

At  the  quarterly  conferences  of  the  stake  membership,  also, 
many  matters  relating  to  the  life  and  welfare  of  the  people  are 
regularly  introduced  and  voted  upon.  Such  matters  may  be  in- 
troduced by  any  member,  if  submitted  in  the  prescribed  manner, 
and  through  the  recognized  channels.  This,  also,  is  an  excellent 
plan,  in  no  sense  abrogatory  of  personal  rights  —  unless  the  most 
conspicuous  element  in  such  is  the  precipitation  of  discussion, 
often  useless  and  acrimonious  —  but  it  is  rather  a  contribution 
toward  efficiency,  according  to  the  often-recommended  principle 
of  "  doing  all  things  decently  and  in  order." 

Beneath  the  stake  authorities,  and,  in  matters  spiritual  and 
ecclesiastical,  directly  responsible  to  them,  come  the  authorities 
of  the  several  wards.  The  ward  is,  in  fact,  the  ecclesiastical 
unit  of  the  stake,  to  which  it  is  related  precisely  as  are  the  sep- 
arate stakes  to  the  general  authorities  of  the  Church.  More- 
over, it  is  the  organization  that  most  intimately  affects  the  in- 
dividual; being  closer  to  his  personal  life  and  interests  than 
either  the  stake  or  general  authorities. 

Each  ward,  as  previously  explained,  is  presided  over  by  a 
bishop,  who,  with  two  counselors,  constitutes  its  presidency. 
Under  the  immediate  supervision  of  this  presidency,  or  bishopric, 
are,  as  already  explained,  the  several  quorums  of  the  lesser  priest- 
hood; also,  the  ward  branches  of  the  official  Church  societies 
and  organizations.  These  latter  are  the  Women's  Relief  Soci- 
ety; the  Young  Men's  and  the  Young  Ladies'  Mutual  Improve- 
ment Associations;  the  Primary  Association;  also,  a  ward  Re- 
ligion Class,  and  the  Sunday  School  organization.  Such  ward 
associations,  while  under  the  supervision  of  the  ward  bishopric, 
are  regularly  formed  and  accredited  branches  of  general  bodies, 
whose  activities  affect  the  whole  Church.  They  are  efficient 
helpers  to  the  bishopric,  both  in  dispensing  relief  to  the  needy, 
and  in  promoting  the  moral,  religious  and  intellectual  welfare 
of  the  people.  They  will  be  treated  and  discussed  in  the  proper 
place. 

In  addition  to  these  numerous  responsibilities,  the  bishop  ex- 
ercises the  general  functions  of  pastor;  superintending  all  re- 
ligious rites  and  offices  in  his  ward;  issuing  recommendations 
for  persons  wishing  to  enter  any  of  the  temples,  or  to  remove 
to  other  wards;  receiving  the  tithes  and  other  offerings  of  the 
people,  and  rendering  such  advice  and  assistance  as  may  be 
required  by  any  in  his  charge.  Under  the  direction  of  the  stake 
Presidency,  the  bishop  also  convenes  the  periodical  ward  con- 
ferences, and,  in  the  absence  of  a  higher  authority,  who  fre- 
quently assumes  the  chair  by  courtesy,  presides  over  its  delibera- 
tions. 


ORGANIZATION  OF  THE  MORMON  CHURCH    293 

At  these  ward  conferences  all  officers,  both  general,  stake  and 
ward,  are  elected  or  "  sustained  " ;  ward  business  is  transacted, 
and  reports  from  local  organizations  and  quorums  are  received. 
It  is  to  the  ward,  in  short,  what  the  quarterly  conference  is  to 
the  stake,  and  the  general  conference  to  the  whole  Church. 
Although,  of  course,  effective  only  in  transacting  ward  business 
and  defining  the  local  attitude  toward  general  Church  and  com- 
munity affairs,  it  is  an  efficient  instrument  for  promoting  local 
action  among  the  people,  and  bringing  them  into  close  associa- 
tion, as  a  sort  of  "  committee  of  the  whole,"  in  addition  to  their 
organization  and  quorum  work. 

The  system  of  Church  courts  is  closely  related  to  the  general 
organization  of  its  government.  These  courts,  while  convened 
usually  to  try  and  decide  causes  based  upon  charges  against  the 
character  or  conduct  of  members  of  the  Church,  and  empowered 
to  disfellowship  or  excommunicate  the  guilty,  also  take  cogni- 
zance of  matters  in  dispute  between  such  members  in  good  stand- 
ing, which  cannot  be  reconciled  by  the  offices  of  the  teachers 
and  others  representing  Church  authority.  In  no  case  have 
such  courts  attempted  to  review  or  reverse  the  decisions  of  civil 
courts,  either  in  matters  criminal  or  general.  It  is  the  rule, 
however,  to  formally  try  a  member  accused  of  public  crime,  and 
to  administer  to  such  the  rebukes  and  disabilities  available  to 
Church  authority,  if  guilty. 

There  are  three  regularly  organized  courts  and  as  many  special 
tribunals,  usually  convened  to  try  exceptional  causes,  and  under 
exceptional  conditions.  The  three  former  are:  the  ward 
bishop's  court,  the  stake  high  council,  and  the  Council  of  the 
First  Presidency.  The  three  latter  are:  the  Presiding  Bishop's 
Court,  convened  specifically  to  try  charges  against  a  "presiding 
high  priest,"  the  Council  of  High  Priests  Abroad,  convened 
usually  to  decide  important  difficulties  arising  outside  the  organ- 
ized stakes  of  Zion;  and  the  Traveling  High  Council  of  the 
Twelve  Apostles. 

The  ward  court  consists  of  the  Bishop  of  the  Ward  and  his 
two  counselors,  or,  in  event  of  the  absence  or  disability  of  either 
of  the  counselors,  with  any  High  Priest  selected  by  him,  and 
acceptable  to  the  litigating  parties;  in  the  event  of  the  absence 
or  disability  of  both  counselors,  with  two  High  Priests,  similarly 
chosen.  The  trial  of  any  cause  before  this  court  proceeds  in 
recognized  fashion,  by  the  taking  of  testimony  and  the  argument 
of  the  case  on  both  sides.  The  decision  is  rendered  in  writing, 
and  represents  the  majority  opinion  of  the  three  judges;  the 
Bishop  having  the  "casting  vote,"  in  case  of  disagreement  be- 
tween his  counselors.    Thus,  a  decision  agreed  on  by  the  Bishop 


294  THE  REAL  MORMONISM 

and  one  of  his  counselors  is  valid;  but  in  case  both  counselors 
disagree  with  the  Bishop,  there  is  no  decision,  and  the  case  must 
be  retried,  or  be  appealed  to  the  High  Council  of  the  stake. 

The  Stake  High  Council,  sitting  as  a  court,  consists  of  the 
twelve  High  Councillors,  or  any  one  or  several  of  their  six 
"  alternates  "  filling  vacancies,  and  is  presided  over  by  the  Stake 
Presidency.  This  body  may  sit  as  a  court  of  original  jurisdic- 
tion, and  so  does  in  all  stake  matters,  or  as  an  appellate  court, 
for  the  review  of  cases  already  tried  in  any  of  the  ward  courts. 
The  High  Council  may  review  any  case  already  tried  by  a  ward 
court,  whether  the  testimony  be  objected  to  or  not,  and  may  re- 
verse, modify  or  confirm  the  decision  of  the  Bishop.  In  case 
of  appeal,  based  on  objections,  or  "  exceptions,"  the  Council  may 
try  the  case  over  from  the  start,  as  if  at  original  hearing.  On 
the  ground  of  irregularities  or  of  new  evidence,  the  High  Coun- 
cil may  direct  a  new  trial  by  the  Bishop's  Court.  The  Council 
of  the  Twelve  Apostles,  sitting  as  a  High  Council,  may  also  hear 
causes,  but  the  practice  of  so  doing  is  concerned  wholly  with 
considerations  on  the  importance  of  the  given  case,  such  as  would 
warrant  this  General  Authority  in  assuming  the  function  pre- 
scribed for  the  ward  or  stake  authorities. 

Above  all  other  Church  courts,  either  regular  or  special,  stands 
the  First  Presidency,  when  sitting  as  a  Council.  It  has  both 
original  and  appellate  jurisdiction,  and  may  sit  as  a  court  of  orig- 
inal jurisdiction,  or  as  an  appellate  body  reviewing  the  evidence 
and  decisions  of  any  lower  court.  Although,  as  distinctly  spe- 
cified {Doc.  and  Cov,  cvii:36),  the  authority  of  the  stake  high 
councils  is  such  that  its  decisions  admit  of  no  appeal,  the  Council 
of  the  First  Presidency  may  order  a  retrial  on  the  ground  of 
irregularities,  or,  as  specified,  of  "  unrighteousness."  In  the 
hearing  of  any  cause,  either  in  the  first  instance  or  on  appeal,  the 
First  Presidency  may  act  alone  (i.e.  the  First  President  and  his 
two  counselors)  or  with  the  assistance  of  twelve  High  Priests. 
{Doc.  and  Cov.  cvii:79.)  This  Council  is  not  inclined,  however, 
to  interfere  in  cases,  except  where  considerations  of  general  im- 
portance emerge,  or  where  there  has  been  evident  irregularity  in 
the  original  trial.  It  has  exercised  its  prerogative  most  often  on 
matters  affecting  claims  in  dispute,  as  on  property  rights,  etc., 
between  the  authorities  of  separate  stakes.  In  such  matters  it 
does  not  infringe  on  the  jurisdiction  of  the  civil  courts,  since  it 
is  concerned  only  with  disputes  and  causes  arising  between  mem- 
bers and  organizations  of  the  Church.  None  of  the  Church 
courts  will  take  cognizance  of  cases  involving  disputes  between 
members  and  non-members  of  the  Church. 

The  quorums  of  the  Church  organization,  erroneously  called 


ORGANIZATION  OF  THE  MORMON  CHURCH    29$ 

the  "  hierarchy,"  includes,  according  to  general  estimates,  about 
90  per  cent,  of  the  total  male  membership,  beginning  with  boys 
of  twelve  or  thirteen,  who  are  regularly  inducted  into  the  grade 
of  deacons.  In  1914,  the  official  figures  for  the  quorum  mem- 
berships were  as  follows : 

Quorums  of  High  Priests 11,450 

Quorums  of  Seventies 11,112 

Quorums  of  Elders  27,382 

Total  Melchisedek  Priesthood  49,944 

Quorums  of  Aaronic  Priests  8,830 

Quorums  of  Teachers  10,607 

Quorums  of  Deacons   22,722 

Total  Aaronic  Priesthood  42,159 

Total  Quorum  Membership  92,103 


CHAPTER  XXI 


"  AUXILIARY   ORGANIZATIONS  ** 


In  addition  to  the  priesthood  quorum  organizations  of  the 
Mormon  Church,  there  are  several  associations  and  societies, 
called  collectively  "  auxiliary  organizations."  Like  the  several 
quorums  of  the  Priesthood  proper,  as  for  example,  the  Seventy, 
these  organizations  have  their  separate  and  individual  governing 
and  administrative  bodies,  which  operate  under  the  immediate 
supervision  of  the  Church  authorities.  Indeed,  so  intimately  are 
these  auxiliary  bodies  associated  with  the  religious  and  com- 
munity life  of  the  Mormon  people  that  it  is  perfectly  correct  to 
include  them  in  an  exhaustive  account  of  the  Church  proper. 
They  example  notably  the  Mormon  tendency  to  organize  and  co- 
operate for  mutual  advantage. 

The  earliest,  also,  the  best  known  of  these  auxiliary  organiza- 
tions is  the  Women's  Relief  Society,  now  an  organization  of 
national  scope  and  associated  with  the  National  Council  of 
Women.  While  organized  by,  and  consisting  almost  entirely  of 
Mormon  members,  it  distributes  benevolent  assistance  with  an 
exemplary  impartiality.  Indeed,  in  any  great  calamity  its  name 
has  always  been  conspicuous  among  generous  dispensers  of  relief 
for  the  needy  and  impoverished.  This  society  was  founded  by 
Joseph  Smith  at  Nauvoo,  111.,  March  17,  1842.  It  was  the  first 
regular  organization  of  women  in  the  world,  and  also,  as  is  be- 
lieved, the  first  association  for  the  systematic  distribution  of 
beneficence.  During  the  earlier  years  of  Mormon  occupancy  of 
Utah  the  work  of  relief  was  largely  in  the  hands  of  ward  organi- 
zations, the  relations  between  these  branches  being  merely  asso- 
ciative, and  the  connection  with  a  general  headship  being  rather 
loose  and  undefined.  In  1877,  however,  stake  societies  were 
founded,  which  assumed  control  of  work  in  the  several  wards, 
and  in  1880  a  general  presidency  was  established.  The  advan- 
tage of  the  last  step  in  the  development  was  that  the  work  of 
benevolence  could  be  pursued  in  obedience  to  a  systematic  direc- 
torate, which,  in  turn,  could  be  in  close  touch  with  the  central 
authorities  of  the  Church. 

296 


"  AUXILIARY  ORGANIZATIONS  "  297 

Each  ward  branch,  presided  over,  in  the  usual  fashion,  by  a 
president  and  two  counselors,  assisted  by  a  clerk  and  treasurer, 
regularly  enlist  the  services  of  several  teachers,  who  visit  the 
people  of  the  ward,  and  ascertain  their  needs.  Relief  is  then  dis- 
pensed through  the  ward  bishop.  The  ward  officers  regularly 
report  their  work  to  the  stake  authorities,  who,  in  turn,  report  to 
the  central  presidency,  which  is  thus  kept  in  close  and  constant 
touch  with  the  entire  mechanism  of  the  organization.  Precisely 
as  in  the  organization  of  the  Church  in  general,  the  stake  officers 
of  the  Relief  Society  regularly  visit  the  wards  under  their  direc- 
tion, and  the  central  presidency  similarly  visit  the  stake  organi- 
zations. There  are  now  over  700  ward  societies  included  in  64 
stakes,  and  about  100  Relief  Society  organizations  maintained 
in  connection  with  the  important  missions  of  the  Church  through- 
out the  world.  All  of  these  together  represent  a  membership  of 
over  40,000.  While  by  systematic  work  in  ferreting  out  cases  of 
need  and  reporting  such  to  the  bishops  for  prompt  relief,  finan- 
cial or  otherwise,  the  Relief  Society  is  instrumental  in  distribut- 
ing about  $200,000  annually,  it  has  also  figured  on  generous  scale 
in  contributing  to  the  relief  of  the  sufferers  by  the  San  Fran- 
cisco fire,  and  other  calamities,  that  have  ranked  it  among  the 
most  practical  agencies  of  benevolence  in  the  world. 

In  addition  to  the  practical  relief  distributed  by  this  society, 
it  is  a  valuable  adjunct  to  the  practical  work  of  the  Church  in 
affording  a  center  for  the  sympathetic  association  of  women  in 
the  practical  activities  of  the  community.  The  members  of  the 
branches  meet  constantly  in  sewing  circles,  in  which  clothing, 
carpets,  quilts,  etc.,  are  made  for  use  in  Church  buildings  and 
in  the  homes  of  the  poor.  They  also  hold  fairs,  and  unite  in 
entertainments  of  other  varieties  to  raise  funds  for  charitable 
purposes.  Certain  of  the  women  are  regularly  set  apart  to 
serve  in  the  capacity  of  workers,  and  these  do  noble  and  unself- 
ish work  in  caring  for  the  sick,  assisting  the  bereaved,  and 
caring  for  the  dead.  They  also  distribute  clothing,  food,  and 
medicines. 

Next  to  the  Relief  Society,  both  in  point  of  age  and  also  in 
importance  in  the  life  of  the  Church  and  of  the  community,  come 
the  Mutual  Improvement  Associations,  known,  respectively  as 
the  Young  Men's  and  the  Young  Ladies'  associations.  These 
organizations  are  largely  educational  in  character,  being  intended 
to  form  centres  for  personal  training  in  matters  pertaining  pri- 
marily to  the  conduct  of  life  and  the  principles  of  religion. 
The  reason  for  the  foundation  of  these  organizations  lay  in  the 
conviction  of  the  authorities  that  there  was  an  actual  "  necessity 
for  a  general  organization  of  the  young  people  into  societies  for 


298  THE  REAL  MORMONISM 

their  mutual  improvement  —  associations  that  should  be  separate 
from  the  priesthood,  and  yet  so  organized  that  they  should  be 
under  its  guidance,  and  for  its  strength."  In  the  case  of  both 
organizations  the  original  impulse  came  from  the  local  societies 
formed  for  the  purposes  specified,  which  were  gathered  into 
stake  and  general  associations  with  a  strong  central  authority 
to  direct  all  proceedings.  The  fact  that  local  societies,  more  or 
less  widely  distributed  throughout  the  Church  wards,  formed 
the  real  origins  of  the  general  body  in  each  case  examples  the 
Mormon  instinct  for  organization,  also,  the  general  desire  of 
the  people  for  advancement  and  improvement  on  educational 
and  practical  lines.  That  the  idea  of  the  authorities  was  to 
found  organizations  *'  separate  from  the  priesthood "  shows  an 
intelligent  comprehension  of  the  fact  that  religion,  while  per- 
vading all  the  affairs  of  everyday  life,  as  it  does  among  the 
Mormons,  should  have  an  individual  application,  as  well  as  one 
essentially  official  and  organic. 

The  development  of  the  Young  Men's  Mutual  Improvement 
Association  is  thus  outlined  by  its  former  general  secretary: 

"  In  1873  it  became  the  rule  in  some  of  the  more  thickly  populated 
settlements  of  the  Saints  for  the  young  people  to  form  associations 
for  entertainments  and  improvement.  These  were  called  night  schools, 
literary  societies,  debating  clubs,  young  men's  clubs,  or  any  other 
name  that  indicated  the  object  of  the  gathering.  Frequently  they  were 
solely  for  amusement,  and,  taking  pattern  after  the  early  efforts  in  Salt 
Lake  City,  were  formed  to  instruct  the  people  by  theatrical  exhibitions 
and  dramatic  performances.  In  Weber  county,  about  a  dozen  young 
men  met,  at  the  invitation  of  Apostle  F.  D.  Richards,  in  his  home,  on 
the  20th  day  of  April,  1873,  to  consider  the  importance  of  organizing 
themselves  into  a  society  for  mutual  improvement.  .  .  .  Meetings  were 
thereafter  held  weekly,  simple  rules  being  adopted  to  govern  the  same, 
and  a  small  mutual  assessment  was  levied  on  the  members  to  cover  the 
expenses.  The  numbers  grew  until  in  a  short  time  the  association  was 
compelled  to  move  into  the  City  Hall  to  accommodate  the  membership. 
.  .  .  This  association  was  not  discontinued,  but  when  the  general  move- 
ment was  inaugurated,  it  was  divided  into  four  —  one  in  each  ward  in  the 
city.  Other  associations  of  like  character  were  early  formed  in  the  set- 
tlements of  the  county,  and  improvement  associations  and  literary  soci- 
eties had  also  been  organized  in  several  wards  of  Salt  Lake  City,  and 
in  other  places  previous  to  the  general  movement  in  1875." — Edward 
H.  Anderson  {The  Past  of  Mutual  Improvement,  Improvement  Era, 
November,  1897). 

The  first  of  the  Young  Men's  Mutual  Improvement  Associa- 
tions was  formally  organized  in  Salt  Lake  City,  June  10,  1875. 
In  the  following  December  two  elders  appointed  to  the  task  of 
organizing  such  associations  in  the  various  stakes  entered  upon 
their  duties,  which  they  performed  so  thoroughly  that,  within  a 
year  from  that  date,  over  100  branches  had  been  formed,  repre- 
senting a  membership  of  more  than  2,000.    The  ward  branches, 


"  AUXILIARY  ORGANIZATIONS  "  299 

then  formed,  continued  as  separate  organizations,  with  a  gen- 
eral association  holding  regular  meetings  at  stated  times,  until 
1878,  when  the  work  was  placed  in  the  hands  of  the  several 
stake  authorities,  and  administered  as  stake  organizations.  Fi- 
nally, in  1880,  a  general  central  board  of  direction  was  created, 
with  a  general  superintendent  and  two  assistants,  who  directed 
the  work  for  the  entire  Church,  assisted  by  a  secretary,  a  treas- 
urer, a  music  director  and  a  board  of  thirty-four  "  aids."  The 
stake  and  ward  organizations  are  similarly  presided  over  each  by 
a  superintendent  and  two  assistants.  The  membership  is  about 
34,000. 

"The  main  function  of  the  General  Board  is  the  supervision  of  all 
the  Improvement  associations  throughout  the  world;  to  encourage  and 
foster  the  study  of  the  Scriptures;  to  recommend,  publish  and  furnish 
other  literature  for  the  various  associations;  to  formulate  and  arrange 
programs  and  outlines ;  to  provide  for  the  holding  of  conferences,  con- 
ventions and  other  meetings ;  to  establish  and  conduct  missionary  work 
among  the  young;  to  organize,  in  connection  with  local  authorities, 
boards,  committees,  etc.,  in  new  stakes  and  in  outlying  territory;  and 
to  undertake  and  carry  on  many  other  things  that  tend  to  promote 
good  citizenship  and  general  welfare. 

"  Stake  officers  supervise  the  work  of  the  local  organizations.  The 
ward  presidents  [superintendents]  conduct  the  class  work  of  their  re- 
spective associations,  look  after  the  recreations  and  amusement  in  the 
wards,  and  labor  with,  and  are  helpful  to,  the  young  men  in  their 
several  jurisdictions." — Joseph  B.  Keeler  {The  Lesser  Priesthood, 
etc.,  pp.  155-156.). 

The  subjects  of  study  in  the  ward  associations  included  theol- 
ogy, history,  science  and  general  literature,  for  which  regular 
text  books  were  provided  and  reference  libraries  selected.  In 
1 89 1  the  general  authorities  began  the  regular  issuance  of 
"  manuals,"  pamphlets  specially  prepared  for  instruction  along 
definite  selected  lines,  and  issued  annually.  These  manuals  have 
included  some  of  the  following  practical  and  profitable  subjects: 
"Spiritual  Growth  —  Lessons  on  Practical  Religion"  (1908- 
1909)  ;  "  The  Making  of  the  Man  "  (1909-1910)  ;  "  The  Making 
of  a  Citizen  —  Lessons  in  Economics"  (1910-1911);  "The 
Making  of  a  Citizen  —  Problems  in  Economics,  Agriculture  and 
Public  Finance"  (1911-1912).  In  addition  to  these,  regular 
manuals  for  the  "junior  classes"  have  been  issued,  including: 
"The  Acts  of  the  Apostles" — analysis  and  explanations  (1907- 
1908)  ;  "  The  Development  of  Character  —  Lessons  on  Conduct" 
(1911-1912);  "The  Development  of  Character  —  Lessons  on 
Success"  (1911-1912),  etc.  In  1897  was  begun  the  publication 
of  the  Improvement  Era,  the  recognized  organ  of  the  Associa- 
tions, a  monthly  magazine  of  literature  and  subjects  of  interest 
to  the  general  reader.  The  regular  work  of  the  associations 
include  also  selected  reading  courses  of  literary,  scientific  and 


300  THE  REAL  MORMONISM 

practical  books.  Among  these  may  be  mentioned  the  following 
selections:  for  1906-1907,  John  Halifax,  Rasselas;  for  1907- 
1908,  Secret  of  Achievement,  Great  Truths,  The  Strength  of 
Being  Clean,  Silas  Marner;  for  1 908-1 909,  A  Tale  of  Two 
Cities,  Hypatia;  for  1909-1910,  Ancient  America,  Courage,  The 
Crisis,  Our  Inland  Sea;  for  1910-1911,  Brewer's  Citizenship, 
Emerson's  Essays,  "  Friendship,  Prudence,  Heroism " ;  Lorna 
Doone,  Captain  Bonneville;  for  1911-1912,  Dry  Farming,  Cities 
of  the  Sun,  John  Marvel,  Assistant,  The  Young  Man  and  the 
World.  Similarly  well-selected  lists  have  been  prepared  for  the 
junior  members,  as  follows :  for  1906-1907,  True  to  His  Home; 
for  1907-1908,  Tom  Brown's  School  Days,  Wild  Animals  I 
Have  Known;  for  1908-1909,  The  Last  of  the  Mohicans,  Cor- 
tes; for  1909-1910,  Hapgood's  Life  of  Lincoln,  John  Stevens' 
Courtship,  The  Castle  Builder;  for  1910-1911,  The  Bishop's 
Shadow,  Timothy  Titcomb's  Letters,  Widow  O'Callighan's 
Boys;  for  1911-1912,  Good  Hunting,  The  Young  Forester,  Boy 
Wanted,  Alfred  the  Great, 

The  Young  Ladies'  Mutual  Improvement  Associations,  while 
fulfilling  the  same  function  in  the  educational  and  social  life  of 
the  young  women  of  the  Church,  as  does  the  Young  Men's  Asso- 
ciation for  the  men,  had  an  entirely  separate  origin.  It  began, 
in  fact,  not  so  much  as  an  educational  agency  as  one  for  promot- 
ing character  and  efficiency,  coupled  with  firm  religious  convic- 
tion. The  movement  for  the  organization  of  this  association 
was  first  launched  by  President  Brigham  Young,  who  formed 
the  first  Cooperative  Retrenchment  Association  among  the 
daughters  of  his  own  family.  Having  in  mind  the  formation  of 
an  organization  among  the  young  women,  "  which  should  pro- 
vide them  with  a  training  school,  as  it  were,  for  their  spiritual 
and  intellectual  development,"  he  began  the  work  by  a  direct 
appeal  to  the  higher  intelligence  among  them,  which  should 
rebel  at  the  growing  tendencies  toward  extravagance  and  friv- 
olity. Accordingly,  at  a  meeting  held  in  his  home  on  Novem- 
ber 28,  1869,  he  made  the  following  explanation  of  his  position 
in  these  matters: 

"All  Israel  are  looking  to  my  family  and  watching  the  example  set 
by  my  wives  and  children.  For  this  reason  I  desire  to  organize  my 
own  family  first  into  a  society  for  the  promotion  of  habits  of  order, 
thrift,  industry,  and  charity;  and,  above  all  things,  I  desire  them  to 
retrench  from  their  extravagance  in  dress,  in  eating  and  even  in  speech. 
The  time  has  come  when  the  sisters  must  agree  to  give  up  their  follies 
of  dress  and  cultivate  a  modest  apparel,  a  meek  deportment,  and  to 
set  an  example  before  the  people  of  the  world  worthy  of  imitation.  I 
am  weary  of  the  manner  in  which  our  women  seek  to  outdo  each  other 
in  all  the  foolish  fashions  of  the  world.  For  instance,  if  a  sister  in- 
vites her  friends  to  visit  her,  she  must  have  quite  as  many  dishes  as 


"  AUXILIARY  ORGANIZATIONS  "  301 

her  neighbor  spread  on  a  former  occasion,  and  indeed  she  must  have 
one  or  two  more  in  order  to  show  how  much  superior  her  table  is  to 
her  neighbor's.  This  silly  rivalry  has  induced  a  habit  of  extravagance 
in  our  food;  it  has  involved  fathers  and  husbands  in  debt,  and  it  has 
made  slaves  of  the  mothers  and  daughters.  It  is  not  right.  It  is  dis- 
pleasing to  the  Lord,  and  the  poor  groan  under  the  burden  of  trying 
to  ape  the  customs  of  those  who  have  more  means.  Then,  again,  our 
daughters  are  following  the  vain  and  foolish  fashions  of  the  world. 
I  want  you  to  set  your  own  fashions.  Let  your  apparel  be  neat  and 
comely,  and  the  workmanship  of  your  own  hands.  .  .  .  Make  your 
garments  plain,  just  to  clear  the  ground  in  length,  without  ruffles  or 
panniers  or  other  foolish  and  useless  trimmings  and  styles.  I  should 
like  you  to  get  up  your  own  fashions,  and  set  the  style  for  all  the  rest 
of  the  world  who  desire  sensible  and  comely  fashions  to  follow.  I 
want  my  daughters  to  learn  to  work  and  to  do  it.  Not  to  spend  their 
time  for  naught ;  for  our  time  is  all  the  capital  God  has  given  us,  and 
if  we  waste  that  we  are  bankrupt  indeed.  .  .  .  We  are  about  to  or- 
ganize a  Retrenchment  Association,  which  I  want  you  all  to  join,  and 
I  want  you  to  vote  to  retrench  in  your  dress,  in  your  tables,  in  your 
speech,  wherein  you  have  been  guilty  of  silly,  extravagant  speeches 
and  light-mindedness  of  thought.  Retrench  in  everything  that  is  bad 
and  worthless,  and  improve  in  everything  that  is  good  and  beautiful. 
Not  to  make  yourselves  unhappy,  but  to  live  so  that  you  may  be  truly 
happy  in  this  life  and  the  life  to  come." — Susa  Young  Gates  (History 
of  the  Young  Ladies'  Mutual  Improvement  Association,  pp.  8-10). 

Following  on  this  eloquent  plea  by  their  father,  the  young 
daughters  of  President  Young  adopted  a  set  of  resolutions,  con- 
taining among  other  matters  the  following  sentences: 

"  Resolved,  that  inasmuch  as  the  Saints  have  been  commanded  to  gather 
out  from  Babylon  and  not  partake  of  her  sins,  that  they  may  receive  not 
of  her  plagues,  we  feel  that  we  should  not  condescend  to  imitate  the 
pride,  folly  and  fashions  of  the  world.  And  inasmuch  as  the  Church  of 
Jesus  Christ  is  likened  unto  a  city  set  on  a  hill,  to  be  a  beacon  light  to 
all  nations,  it  is  our  duty  to  set  examples  for  others,  instead  of  seeking 
to  pattern  after  them.  .  .  . 

**  Resolved,  inasmuch  as  cleanliness  is  a  characteristic  of  a  Saint,  and 
an  imperative  duty,  we  shall  discard  the  dragging  skirts,  and  for 
decency's  sake  those  disgustingly  short  ones  extending  no  lower  than 
the  boot  tops.  We  also  regard  '  panniers,'  and  whatever  approximates  in 
appearance  toward  the  *  Grecian  bend,'  a  burlesque  on  the  natural  beauty 
and  dignity  of  the  human  female  form,  and  will  not  disgrace  our  persons 
by  wearing  them.  And  also,  as  fast  as  it  shall  be  expedient,  we  shall 
adopt  the  wearing  of  home-made  articles,  and  exercise  our  united  influ- 
ence in  rendering  them  fashionable." — Ibid.  pp.  11-12. 

Commenting  on  the  work  of  the  Associations  founded  in  the 
excellent  resolutions  quoted  above,  Mrs.  Gates  gives  the  follow- 
ing fervent  testimony : 

"  It  is  good  for  us  to  study  the  words  and  acts  of  those  early  days. 
The  spirit  of  worldly  pleasure  and  vain  fashions  was  rapidly  creeping 
into  the  ranks  of  the  daughters  of  Zion.  We  women  are  no  better 
than  we  should  be  to-day,  nay,  nor  half  as  good;  but  can  the  mind  picture 
where  we  should  have  been,  if  the  training  and  check  of  these  associa- 
tions had  not  been  given?  No  one  will  deny  that  the  women  of  the 
Church  have  been  magnificently  disciplined  by  their  various  organiza- 


302  THE  REAL  MORMONISM 

tions,  beginning  with  the  Relief  Society;  and  it  would  be  a  much  easier 
thing  for  a  great  reform  movement  to  sweep  through  our  midst  to-day 
than  it  was  thirty-five  years  ago.  All  in  all,  there  is  much  to  encourage 
the  sociologist  in  the  steady  improvement  and  progress  of  the  women  of 
the  Church.  It  would  be  a  blind  if  not  an  ungenerous  historian  who 
would  not  consider  the  cheering  conditions  which  obtain  among  us  to-day 
as  the  result  of  these  early  struggles."—  Ibid.  pp.  35-36. 

Largely  through  the  earnest  efforts  of  Eliza  R.  Snow  and 
Mary  I.  Home,  the  society  thus  founded  by  President  Young 
among  the  members  of  his  own  family  was  extended,  first  in 
Salt  Lake  City,  and  later  among  the  further  stakes  of  Zion. 
The  branches  organized  by  these  ladies  were  divided,  according 
to  membership,  into  senior  and  junior  departments,  known,  re- 
spectively, as  the  Ladies'  Cooperative  Retrenchment  Association 
and  the  Young  Ladies'  Retrenchment  Association.  The  spheres 
of  usefulness  of  both  were  greatly  widened,  and  the  membership 
much  increased,  when,  in  1880,  all  were  united  in  the  present 
organization,  with  a  central  presidency  under  the  immediate 
direction  of  the  general  authorities  of  the  Church.  The  organi- 
zation is  much  the  same  as  that  of  the  Young  Men's  Association, 
having  a  general  presidency  controlling  stake  presidencies  and 
these,  in  turn,  directing  work  in  the  wards. 

As  at  present  organized,  the  work  of  the  Young  Ladies*  Mu- 
tual Improvement  Associations  embraces  the  study  of  theology, 
domestic  science,  physiology  and  hygiene,  literature  and  history. 
"  Opportunity  is  also  afforded  members  in  the  practice  and  man- 
agement of  deliberative  assemblies,  in  the  art  of  public  speaking, 
and  in  work  demanding  self-effort  along  the  channel  of  general 
culture."     The  membership  is  about  35,000. 

The  auxiliary  organizations,  or  organizations  separate  from 
the  quorums  of  the  priesthood,  are  the  Sunday  School,  the  Pri- 
mary Association,  the  General  Church  Board  of  Education  and 
the  Religion  Class.  All  of  these,  while  under  the  direction  of 
the  general  authorities  of  the  Church,  have  their  own  separate 
organization,  usually  formed  along  the  lines  indicated  in  the 
societies  already  described.  Each  one  has  a  strong  central  au- 
thority, which  works  through  stake  and  ward  organizations,  thus 
securing  complete  uniformity  and  efficiency  in  the  work.  The 
Sunday  schools  of  the  Mormon  Church  are  graded  for  classes 
of  various  ages,  whose  instruction  in  religion  varies  accordingly. 
There  are  six  grades,  or  *'  departments,"  as  follows :  ( i )  the 
Kindergarten;  (2)  the  Primary,  covering  two  years  of  instruc- 
tion; (3)  the  First  Intermediate,  covering  four  years;  (4)  the 
Second  Intermediate,  covering  four  years;  (5)  the  theological 
Department,  for  advanced  pupils,  also  covering  four  years,  and 
(6)    the    Parents*    Department.    The    courses    of    instruction, 


"  AUXILIARY  ORGANIZATIONS  '*  303 

which  are  regularly  laid  out  by  the  General  Board  of  the  Sunday 
School  Union,  include  graded  and  analyzed  lessons  in  the  Scrip- 
tures, noted  events  in  Jewish  and  New  Testament  history,  illus- 
trated by  stories  and  songs  for  the  younger  pupils,  and  by  refer- 
ences to  literature  and  recognized  text  books  for  the  elder 
pupils.  The  Book  of  Mormon  and  the  Doctrine  and  Covenants 
are  included  in  these  courses,  as  also  the  doctrines  peculiar  to 
the  Mormon  Church.  The  following  article,  prepared  by  the 
authorities  of  the  Deseret  Sunday  School  Union  gives  the  essen- 
tial facts: 

"The  Church  of  Jesus  Christ  of  Latter-day  Saints  has  from  very 
early  in  its  history  made  Sunday  school  service  one  of  the  very  promi- 
nent features  in  its  organization,  although  the  work  was  not  formally 
organized  until  the  year  1849,  in  Salt  Lake  City,  Utah,  the  Robert  Raikes 
of  Sunday  school  endeavor,  in  the  Rocky  Mountain  West,  being  Richard 
Ballantyne,  a  lifelong  worker  in  the  service  of  the  Master.  From  an 
extremely  modest  beginning  —  the  first  organized  school  having  a  mem- 
bership of  less  than  thirty  —  the  Sunday  schools  of  the  Latter-day 
Saints  have  developed  with  remarkable  rapidity  until  to-day  the  total 
enrollment  of  officers,  teachers  and  members,  according  to  the  latest 
compiled  statistics,  is  179,254,  with  1247  schools  and  an  average  attend- 
ance of  members  of  60  per  cent,  with  all  schools  graded  and  otherwise 
fully  equipped  for  the  most  successful  training  of  the  young  and  old  in 
the  ways  of  the  Lord. 

"  In  the  third  year  of  the  occupancy  of  the  Salt  Lake  valley  by  the 
Latter-day  Saints,  on  Sunday,  December  9th,  1849,  the  first  Sunday  school 
to  be  held  in  the  Rocky  Mountain  region  was  organized  by  Richard  Bal- 
lantyne in  Salt  Lake  City,  there  being  present  about  twenty  of  his  neigh- 
bors, old  and  young.  The  house  in  which  the  school  was  held  had  been 
erected  by  Mr.  Ballantyne's  own  hands,  with  some  help  from  his  friends. 
It  was  built  of  sundried  brick,  or  adobes,  and  contained  two  rooms.  For 
the  first  few  years,  the  work  of  this  school  and  of  others,  subsequently 
organized,  was  somewhat  experimental,  with  the  courses  of  study  rather 
mixed,  partaking  of  the  dual  nature  of  Sunday  and  day  school,  but 
with  moral  and  religious  training  predominating.  Later,  regular  plans 
for  class  work  were  formulated  and  the  work  throughout  the  Church 
was  systematized  and  made  universal.  In  1866,  under  the  editorship  of 
George  Q.  Cannon,  one  of  the  Presidency  of  the  Church,  the  publication 
of  a  Sunday  school  journal,  called  the  Juvenile  Instructor,  was  beg^n. 
This  became  the  official  organ  of  the  Sunday  schools  of  the  Church  and 
is  still  being  published  as  such,  now  being  in  its  forty-eighth  volume.  It 
is  a  magazine  of  eighty  pages  and  is  the  medium  through  which  general 
instructions  and  class-work  outlines  are  disseminated. 

"  Among  those  prominently  identified  with  the  Sunday  school  work 
in  its  infancy,  in  addition  to  Richard  Ballantyne,  may  be  mentioned 
Brigham  Young,  Daniel  H.  Wells,  George  A.  Smith,  Wilford  Woodruff, 
George  Q.  Cannon,  William  H.  Sherman,  Edward  L.  Sloan,  George  God- 
dard,  Robert  L.  Campbell,  David  O.  Calder,  Brigham  Young,  Jr.,  Albert 
Carrington,  John  B.  Maiben  and  John  Morgan. 

"  By  1872,  a  total  of  190  schools  had  been  organized,  located  in  twenty 
counties  in  Utah  and  two  counties  in  Idaho,  having  a  total  membership 
of  14,781.  About  twenty-seven  years  later,  there  were  982  schools  and 
the  enrollment  totaled  119,998,  schools  having  been  organized  in  prac- 


304  THE  REAL  MORMONISM 

tically  every  ecclesiastical  district,  or  ward,  of  the  Church  at  home  and 
in  many  of  the  missions  abroad.  Wherever  the  Latter-day  Saints  lo- 
cated and  commenced  the  reclamation  of  the  desert,  they  organized  Sun- 
day and  day  schools.  According  to  the  latest  official  report,  there  were 
1247  schools,  with  a  total  enrollment  of  practically  180,000.  The  average 
weekly  attendance  is  60  per  cent  of  the  enrollment.  A  rather  remarkable 
showing  and  an  indication  of  the  interest  taken  in  Sunday  school  work 
by  the  Latter-day  Saints. 

"  The  directing  head  and  supreme  authority,  under  the  Presidency  of 
the  Church,  of  the  Sunday  school  movement  is  the  General  Board  of  the 
Deseret  Sunday  School  Union,  composed  at  present  of  thirty-six  represen- 
tative men  from  almost  every  walk  and  avocation  in  life  and  including 
the  President  of  the  Church  and  his  two  counsellors,  all  of  whom,  in 
common  with  all  other  Sunday  school  workers,  serve  without  financial 
compensation.  The  Union  itself  includes  every  Sunday  school  organi- 
zation of  the  Church.  Under  the  General  Board,  there  are  Stake 
organizations  directing  the  work  in  their  districts  and  these  Stake  boards 
supervise  and  direct  the  operation  of  the  Ward  organizations  —  the  in- 
dividual schools.  The  wards  comprise  small  towns  or  divisions  of 
large  towns  and  cities,  and  the  stakes  correspond  to  counties  or  smaller 
divisions  of  thickly  populated  sections.  The  General  Board  is  made 
up  of  a  superintendent,  first  and  second  assistant  superintendents,  gen- 
eral secretary,  general  treasurer  and  associate  members.  The  present 
general  superintendent  is  Joseph  Fielding  Smith,  President  of  the 
Church.  The  Stake  organization  is  composed  of  a  superintendent,  first 
and  second  assistant  superintendents,  secretary  and  treasurer,  as- 
sistant secretary  and  treasurer,  chorister,  organist,  librarian,  usher  and 
department  supervisors,  there  usually  being  at  least  twenty-two  of  the 
latter.  The  stake  board  conducts  regular  and  frequent  meetings  of  all 
workers  within  its  jurisdiction  for  the  purpose  of  instruction  and 
lesson  study,  largely  after  the  order  of  a  teachers'  institute. 

"The  Sunday  schools  themselves  enroll  all  persons  of  4  years  of 
age  and  upwards  who  can  be  interested  in  the  service.  They  are  fully 
organized  and  graded  and  pursue  a  regular  course  of  study,  covering 
a  period  of  sixteen  years  in  the  grades  and  an  indefinite  time  in  what 
is  called  the  parents'  department.  The  kindergarten  department  takes 
the  beginner  at  4  years  of  age,  or  even  somewhat  earlier,  and  the 
students  pass  successively  through  that  department,  the  primary,  first 
intermediate,  second  intermediate,  junior  theological,  senior  theological 
and  into  the  parents'  department.  In  some  few  schools,  a  normal  or 
teachers'  training  department  is  maintained  and  quite  a  number  have 
an  advanced-theological  department  for  those  who  do  not  care  to 
identify  themselves  with  the  parents'  class.  The  present  course  of 
study  includes  appropriate  kindergarten  work  for  that  department;  two 
years  of  Old  and  New  Testament  stories  for  the  primary  department; 
one  year  of  Book  of  Mormon  stories,  two  years  of  Old  and  New  Tes- 
tament stories  and  one  year  of  Church  history  for  the  first  intermediate 
department;  two  years  of  Book  of  Mormon  history  and  two  years  of 
Old  Testament  history  for  the  second  intermediate  department;  one 
year  of  the  subject,  "Jesus  the  Christ,"  one  year  of  the  subject,  "The 
Apostolic  Age,"  one  year  of  Church  history  and  one  year  of  doctrines 
of  the  Church  for  the  theological  department,  while  the  parents'  de- 
partment considers  all  subjects  vital  to  the  home  and  family  relations, 
interspersed  with  topics  of  general  and  special  interest.  The  schools 
are  officered  by  a  superintendent  and  two  assistants,  secretaries,  treas- 
urers, librarians,   choristers,   organists   and  ushers,  and  every  depart- 


"  AUXILIARY  ORGANIZATIONS  "  305 

ment  of  the  school  has  a  supervisor  and  one  or  more  teachers.  Local 
board  meetings  for  consultation,  instruction  and  lesson  study,  and  made 
up  of  all  school  officers  and  teachers,  are  held  weekly.  The  organiza- 
tion of  the  schools  in  the  foreign  missions  is,  where  practicable,  identi- 
cal with  that  of  those  with  the  body  of  the  Church.  As  an  example 
of  the  work  done  each  Sabbath  day  by  the  individual  Sunday  schools 
of  the  Church  of  Jesus  Christ  of  Latter-day  Saints,  the  following 
programme  of  a  regular  session  is  given : 
9:30  A.  M. —  Prayer  meeting  of  officers  and  teachers. 

10  o'clock  —  School  called  to  order,  following  five  minutes  of  instrumental  music. 
Roll  call. 

Singing. 

Prayer. 

Abstract  of  minutes. 

Singing  —  Sacramental. 

Sacrament  gem  in  concert. 

Administration  of  Sacrament. 

Sacrament  thought  by  individual. 

Concert  recitation  of  Scriptural  extracts. 

Singing  practice. 

10:45  —  JDepartment  work. 

1 1  -.45  —  Reassembly  for  closing  exercises. 
Remarks  (if  desired). 

Singing. 
Prayer. 

"  In  addition  to  publishing  the  Juvenile  Instructor,  the  Deseret  Sun- 
day School  Union  owns  and  operates  a  fully  stocked  book  and  station- 
ery store  at  its  headquarters  in  Salt  Lake  City,  Utah.  The  book  store 
is  able  to  furnish  everything  in  the  way  of  supplies  necessary  for 
Sunday  school  workers  and  does  a  large  volume  of  business.  The 
finances  of  the  Deseret  Sunday  School  Union  are  managed  by  an  execu- 
tive committee.  On  the  third  Sunday  in  each  September,  every  officer, 
teacher  and  member  of  every  Sunday  school  in  the  Church  is  expected 
to  contribute  five  cents  each  to  the  general  fund.  Of  the  total  so  con- 
tributed, twenty  per  cent  goes  to  the  support  of  the  Stake  organizations 
and  the  remainder  to  the  general  fund.  This  is  the  sole  collection  made 
for  the^  general  Sunday  school  cause.  The  individual  schools  provide 
for  their  own  expenses,  this  work  usually  being  in  the  hands  of  an 
amusement  committee,  which  provides  profit-making  entertainments 
from  time  to  time  and  thereby  makes  the  school  self-sustaining. 

"At  regular  intervals,  appropriate  topics  are  considered  in  open  as- 
sembly and  in  each  department  of  every  school  in  the  Church,  and 
certain  days  are  designated  for  their  consideration.  Among  these  lat- 
ter may  be  mentioned,  '  Humane  day,'  *  Washington's  birthday,'  *  Lin- 
coln's birthday,'  *  Fourth  of  July,'  *  Pioneer  day,'  *  Bird  day,'  *  Arbor 
day,'  '  Thanksgiving '  and  *  Christmas.'  " 

Like  all  the  other  activities  associated  with  the  Mormon 
Church  and  people,  the  Sunday  School  organization  is  complete 
and  efficient.  Its  usefulness  has  been  greatly  augmented,  how^- 
ever,  within  recent  years  by  the  inauguration  of  the  parents' 
class  movement,  which  still  further  extends  the  sphere  of  reli- 
gious instruction.  The  aims  of  the  new  department  and  the 
details  of  its  organization  are  set  forth  in  the  following  "  Letter 
of  the  General  (Sunday  School)  Superintendency,"  issued  in 
1906: 

"The  object  of  parents'  classes  is, —  first,  to  aid  parents  in  general 
culture;  and  secondly,  to  bring  about  a  closer  relationship  between  the 


3o6  THE  REAL  MORMONISM 

home  and  the  Sunday  school,  that  parents  may  give  more  efficient  aid 
in  the  general  work  of  the  Sunday  school. 

"Topics  pertaining  to  the  environment  of  the  home,  to  the  effect 
of  one  family's  actions  upon  another's,  to  the  influence  of  rewards 
and  punishments  as  incentives  to  action,  to  the  power  of  love  as  a 
disciplinary  factor  in  the  home  —  these  and  many  kindred  topics  will 
aid  the  parents  both  as  individuals  and  as  heads  of  families. 

"  In  the  co-operation  of  the  home  and  the  Sabbath  School,  it  is  de- 
sired that  parents  will  manifest  an  interest  in  getting  children  to  be 
punctual,  and  to  be  regular  in  attendance;  to  take  an  active  part  in  the 
singing,  and  in  memory  work;  and  above  all,  that  parents  will  impress 
their  children  with  the  importance  of  preparing  lessons.  In  this  respect, 
it  is  one  of  the  objects  of  parents'  classes  to  aid  the  members  to 
render  practical  assistance  in  the  matter  of  home  preparation.  In  brief, 
parents'  classes  aim  to  establish  unity  between  the  home  and  the 
Sunday  school,  in  order  to  benefit  the  parents,  the  children,  and  the 
school. 

"  The  parents'  classes  are  primarily  for  the  Latter-day  Saints,  though 
non-members  of  the  Church  are  invited  and  should  be  made  welcome. 
All  parents  attending  the  Sunday  school,  not  connected  with  other 
classes,  should  be  enrolled  in  the  parents'  class,  unless  they  are  officers 
or  teachers,  or  have  other  duties  in  the  school.  A  personal  canvass  of 
the  ward  should  be  made  and  an  explanation  of  the  objects  of  the  classes 
given,  to  induce  the  parents  to  join. 

"A  suitable  person  should  be  selected  as  supervisor,  who  will  direct 
and  control  the  exercises  and  discussions  in  a  wise  way.  In  some 
places  the  Bishop  of  the  ward  or  one  of  his  counsellors  is  serving  in 
this  capacity  with  excellent  results.  One  or  more  assistants  may  be 
chosen  to  aid  the  supervisor. 

"The  Stake  Boards  should  also  have  one  or  more  workers  to  look 
after  this  branch,  and  a  department  of  the  Union  meeting  should  be  es- 
tablished for  it  In  short:  parents'  classes  should  be  considered  as  an 
integral  department  of  the  Sunday  school  and  treated  in  the  same  re- 
spect as  the  other  departments,  except  in  the  matter  of  statistics,  as  here- 
after explained. 

"It  is  desirable  that  the  parents'  classes  be  held  at  no  other  time 
but  during  the  Sunday  school  hour  on  Sunday.  It  is  the  purpose  to 
imbue  the  parents  as  far  as  possible  with  a  genuine  Sunday  school 
spirit,  and  this  can  only  be  acquired  by  attendance  at  the  Sunday  school 
and  partaking  of  its  influence;  therefore  parents  should  join  the  chil- 
dren in  the  opening  and  closing  exercises  of  the  school  and  participate 
in  the  spirit  thereof.  It  is  very  desirable,  where  conditions  are  favor- 
able, that  a  room  be  provided  in  the  meeting  house  for  the  use  of  the 
class.  Where  this  is  not  practicable,  a  room  in  a  house  adjacent  to 
the  place  of  meeting  may  be  obtained. 

**  After  the  general  opening  exercises  of  the  school,  the  parents'  class 
should  march  to  the  room  specially  provided  for  its  class  work,  where 
the   following   suggestive   plan   may  be   successfully   followed: 

"  I.  Roll  call. 

"2.  Papers  or  addresses  should  be  rendered  on  the  topic  before  the 
class,  by  one  or  more  persons,  and  then  a  full  and  free  discussion 
should  be  entered  into  upon  the  subject  presented.  The  discussion  of 
the  topic  should  not  consume  all  the  time;  but  a  few  minutes  at  the 
close  of  each  recitation  should  be  devoted  to  a  summary  of  one  or 
more  important  truths.    These,  the  members  of  the  class  should  de- 


"  AUXILIARY  ORGANIZATIONS  "  307 

termine  to  introduce  into  their  home  lives.  Just  how  to  do  this  will  be 
prompted  by  the  nature  of  the  subject;  it  may  be  by  improvement 
in  personal  habits,  by  improvement  in  home  government,  or  by  assist- 
ing the  children  in  the  lessons  for  the  next  Sunday. 

"  Perfect  freedom  should  be  encouraged  in  asking  and  answering 
questions  pertaining  to  the  subject  in  hand.  The  members  who  think 
and  act  are  those  who  get  most  good  out  of  the  class  work. 

"  Three  lessons  will  be  provided  for  each  month.  For  Fast  Day  and 
an  occasional  fifth  Sunday,  the  class  supervisors  may  prepare  special 
work.  The  Fast  Day  exercise  may  consist  of  testimonies  on  the  effec- 
tiveness of  the  parents'  class  movement,  as  well  as  on  the  truthful- 
ness of  the  Gospel." 

The  importance  of  the  activities  represented  by  the  Sunday 
Schools  of  the  Church  of  Jesus  Christ  of  Latter-day  Saints  may 
be  understood  by  the  following  figures,  given  for  the  year  1912. 
In  that  year  the  total  number  of  schools  in  all  the  stakes  and 
missions  of  the  Church  was  1,303,  which  represented  a  total 
enrohnent  of  181,152  persons,  including  officers,  teachers  and 
pupils.  Of  these  the  total  number  of  officers  and  teachers  was 
20,656;  the  total  number  enrolled  in  the  graded  departments  was 
136,359,  of  which  113,081  were  between  the  ages  of  4  and  20 
years.  In  the  Kindergarten  department  were  enrolled  29,695; 
in  the  Primary,  25,459;  in  the  First  Intermediate,  32,484;  in  the 
Second  Intermediate,  22,325;  in  the  Theological  Department, 
26,396,  and  in  the  Parents'  Department,  23,290. 

In  addition  to  the  Sunday  school  organization  in  the  Deseret 
Sunday  School  Union,  there  is  another  organization  having  in 
charge  the  instruction  of  the  young.  This  is  known  as  the  Pri- 
mary Association,  which  is  an  organization  of  children  officered 
by  women.  The  Primary  Association  has  a  threefold  object: 
(i)  to  promote  spiritual  development  in  the  children;  (2)  to 
educate  them  in  the  ways  of  the  Lord;  (3)  to  encourage  indus- 
trial occupations  as  an  offset  to  idleness,  street  roaming  and  care- 
less habits.  The  means  employed  for  achieving  these  excellent 
ends  include  both  class  instruction  in  religious,  literary  and 
general  topics  and  also  such  amusements  as  socials,  concerts  and 
dances.  It  is  nearly  the  most  admirable  expression  of  the  in- 
stinct for  organization  and  mutual  association,  so  conspicuous  in 
all  Mormon  affairs.  It  serves  to  inculcate,  not  only  the  ex- 
cellent principles  for  which  it  was  founded,  but  also  to  instil 
into  the  growing  mind  the  habit  of  association  and  the  instinct 
of  solidarity,  which  is  the  first  step  in  real  morality  and  valid 
religion,  if  the  words  of  Christ  are  to  be  accepted  as  a  guide  in 
any  real  sense.  The  officers  of  the  Primary  Association,  from 
the  General  Board  to  the  smallest  ward  organization,  are  the 
**  mothers  and  daughters  of  the  Latter-day  Saints  communities," 
women  who  have  a  vital  interest  in  the  affairs  of  the  organiza- 


3o8  THE  REAL  MORMONISM 

tion,  and  whose  children  are  being  benefited  by  its  influence. 
According  to  authoritative  figures  compiled  in  1912,  the  Pri- 
mary Associations  throughout  the  Church  include  a  membership 
of  60,278,  24,849  boys  and  35,429  girls,  whose  class  instruction 
is  divided  into  five  distinct  grades.  There  are  also  9,726  of- 
ficers of  various  degrees,  from  the  General  Presidency  to  the 
w^ard  assistants.  Over  3,000  children  are  enrolled  whose  parents, 
either  one  or  both,  are  not  members  of  the  Mormon  Church. 
The  Primary  Association  conducts  an  excellent  and  well-edited 
children's  magazine.  The  Children's  Friend. 

There  are  two  other  important  organizations,  controlled,  like 
the  others,  by  a  general  board,  and  extending  their  activities  to 
the  stakes.  These  are  the  Board  of  Education  and  the  Religion 
Class.  The  former  is  concerned  principally  with  the  matter  of 
general  education,  including  religious  instruction,  which,  in  spite 
of  the  unfavorable  reports  constantly  circulated,  has  always  been 
a  matter  of  prime  importance  among  the  Mormon  people,  from 
the  earliest  days  to  the  present.  Among  the  most  famous  say- 
ings of  the  Prophet  Joseph  Smith  are  those  to  the  effect  that  the 
"  glory  of  God  is  intelligence,"  and  that  a  **  man  is  saved  no 
faster  than  he  gets  knowledge,"  and  these  principles,  constantly 
and  persistently  reiterated,  are  among  the  most  firmly  accepted 
beliefs  of  the  people.  The  overdone  charges  of  ignorance 
against  Joseph  Smith  and  his  earliest  associates  by  no  means 
explain  his  own  thirst  for  knowledge,  as  shown  in  the  fact  that 
he  applied  himself  vigorously  to  the  study  of  Hebrew,  law  and 
other  learned  branches,  nor  yet  the  enthusiasm  for  better  educa- 
tion begotten  in  the  minds  of  some  of  his  most  forceful,  although 
little  learned  associates. 

It  is  not  strange,  in  view  of  these  facts,  to  find  that  the  gen- 
eral enthusiasm  for  knowledge,  as  exampled  in  the  Mutual  Im- 
provement Associations,  and  others,  should  ultimately  crystallize 
in  the  establishment  of  the  Church  Board  of  Education,  which 
conducts  and  controls  the  operation  of  thirty-one  distinct  schools, 
including  two  of  collegiate  grade.  The  following  outline  of  the 
educational  system  of  the  Church,  since  the  settlement  of  Utah, 
was  furnished  by  Mr.  Horace  H.  Cummings,  General  Superin- 
tendent of  Church  Schools: 

"  On  February  28,  1850,  about  two  and  a  half  years  after  the  Pioneers 
arrived  in  Utah,  the  Legislature  passed  an  act  incorporating  the  "Uni- 
versity of  Deseret,"  now  the  Utah  University.  An  appropriation  of 
$5,000  a  year  was  also  made  to  maintain  it.  The  curriculum  provided  for 
ancient  and  modern  languages,  astronomy,  geology,  chemistry,  agricul- 
ture, engineering,  and  other  branches  of  science.  Elementary  schools 
were  also  opened  in  Salt  Lake  City  and  all  the  principal  settle- 
ments. ... 
"At  first  a  tuition  was  charged  students  of  the  University  as  well 


"  AUXILIARY  ORGANIZATIONS  "  309 

as  the  pupils  of  the  elementary  schools,  but  as  population  and  wealth 
increased  they  all  became  free.  Thus  a  most  excellent  system  of  public 
schools  was  provided  by  the  Mormons  who  gladly  maintained  and 
patronized  them,  and  did  all  in  their  power  to  render  them  efficient 

"As  religion  was  not  taught  in  public  schools  the  church  continued 
the  original  practice  of  maintaining  church  schools.  The  Brigham 
Young  Academy  was  founded  at  Provo,  October  16,  1875  and  the  Brig- 
ham  Young  College  at  Logan  in  1877,  the  latter  being  endowed  by  its 
founder,  whose  name  it  bears,  with  a  valuable  tract  of  land  near  Logan 
City.  The  deed  of  trust  granting  this  endowment  provided  that  besides 
the  usual  subjects  then  taught  in  colleges,  the  curriculurn  of  this  school 
should  include  instruction  in  what  are  now  known  as  agriculture,  manual 
training,  or  mechanic  arts,  domestic  science,  domestic  art,  etc.,  branches 
which  were  not  taught  in  other  institutions  at  that  time,  but  which  have 
since  become  so  important. 

"  Under  the  wise  direction  of  the  General  Church  Board  of  Education, 
during  the  next  decade,  a  system  of  church  schools  was  established 
throughout  the  principal  stakes  of  Zion.  An  Academy  to  do  high  school 
work  was  established  in  each  of  the  most  populous  stakes,  and  seminaries 
for  elementary  work  in  the  most  wealthy  wards. 

"  In  all  these  schools,  besides  the  branches  taught  in  the  public  schools 
of  like  grade,  theology  was  required,  and  the  spirit  and  atmosphere  of 
the  schools  made  to  conform  to  the  ideals  of  the  church  as  far  as  pos- 
sible. 

"The  seminaries,  however,  did  not  continue  many  years  because  of 
the  great  expense  to  educate  the  vast  number  of  children  of  elementary 
school  age;  but  the  academies  still  persist,  though  several  discontinued 
during  the  financial  depression  of  the  early  nineties. 

"Dr.  Karl  G.  Maeser,  the  first  principal  of  the  Brigham  Young 
Academy,  was  also  chosen  as  the  first  General  Superintendent  of  the 
church  schools,  and  under  the  guidance  of  the  General  Church  Board 
of  Education  the  peculiarities  of  the  present  school  system  were  de- 
veloped. He  had  great  ability,  both  as  a  teacher  and  an  organizer,  and 
he  originated  many  excellent  features  that  are  still  peculiar  to  our 
church  schools  and  have  proved  to  be  of  the  highest  value.  His  labors 
came  timely,  for  the  growth  of  the  church  and  the  increased  number  of 
its  schools  demanded  more  perfect  systemization  and  his  peculiar  abil- 
ity had  a  unique  field  in  which  to  operate. 

"The  problem  of  financing  the  church  schools  has  always  been  a 
serious  one,  and  in  times  of  business  panics  or  serious  persecutions,  it 
has  several  times  become  desperate.  In  many  instances  the  devoted 
teachers  have  willingly  given  their  services  free,  as  missionaries,  or  for 
half  pay,  or  whatever  amount  the  people  could  give  them,  since  the 
only  sources  of  revenue  are  tithes  and  voluntary  contributions. 

"The  Latter  day  Saints  regret  the  present  absence  of  religious 
training  for  the  young.  Public  schools  do  not  allow  it ;  churches  are 
not  supplying  it,  and  very  little  is  given  even  in  the  home.  While  the 
intellect  is  now  being  trained,  perhaps,  as  never  before  in  the  history 
of  the  race,  the  moral  and  religious  instincts  are  correspondingly  neg- 
lected. The  chief  aim  of  the  church  schools,  therefore,  is  to  make 
Latter  day  Saints  of  the  young  people  —  to  put  them  into  proper  rela- 
tions with  their  Heavenly  Father  and  their  fellow  man. 

"To  accomplish  this  purpose  they  offer  the  usual  courses  in  cultural 
and  intellectual  subjects,  to  which  is  added  a  goodly  amount  of  indus- 
trial education  and  thorough  courses  in  theology.  Thus  the  head,  the 
heart  and  the  hand  arc  trained  together." 


3IO  THE  REAL  MORMONISM 

Distinct  from  the  Board  of  Education,  but  largely  supplement- 
ing its  work,  is  the  organization  of  the  Religion  Classes,  first 
founded  in  1890. 

"The  object  as  explained  by  the  promoters  of  the  organization  was 
to  furnish  a  means  for  the  religious  training  of  children  of  school  age 
who  do  not  regularly  attend  Church  institutions  of  learning.  It  was 
created  primarily  to  fill  an  educational  need  of  the  great  mass  of  chil- 
dren of  Latter-day  Saint  parentage.  The  practical  training  of  the 
children  in  personal  duties  and  requirements  of  the  Gospel,  as  testi- 
mony bearing;  prayer;  the  committing  to  memory  of  important  pas- 
sages of  Scripture;  learning  sacred  songs  and  hymns;  drawing  les- 
sons from  real  life  as  found  in  biography;  becoming  acquainted  with 
forms  and  ordinances  of  the  Church,  as  well  as  Church  government 
—  these  are  some  of  the  leading  and  concrete  ideas  that  best  express 
the  character  of  the  Religion  Class.  Two  or  three  hours  a  week  spent 
in  the  Sabbath  Schools  and  like  gatherings,  so  it  was  urged,  was  not 
sufficient  time  to  devote  to  religious  instruction  as  an  offset  to  worldly 
and  other  detrimental  influences.  There  was  therefore  room  for  the 
oranization;  the  field  was  extensive;  the  soil  rich  and  deep;  the  fruit- 
age ought  to  be  abundant." — /.  B.  Keeler  {The  Lesser  Priesthood, 
etc.,  p.  162). 

The  work  of  the  Religion  Class  is  conducted  by  an  organiza- 
tion having  general  and  stake  boards,  precisely  as  are  all  the 
other  activities  of  the  Church. 


VI 

TRUTH,  JUSTICE  AND  MORMONISM 

"Why  has  Mormonism  been  so  much  misunderstood?  Simplv  because  the  Evangel- 
ical churches  saw  in  its  success  their  own  downfall,  and  they  dared  not  let  their  own 
followers  know  what  Mormonism  really  was,  lest  they  should  embrace  it" — Charles 
Ellis. 


CHAPTER  XXII 

ANTI-MORMON  ACCUSATIONS 

Despite  the  beams  in  our  own  eyes,  we  have  gallantly  volun- 
teered to  remove  the  motes  from  the  eyes  of  Mormons,  and  of  the 
public  generally.  In  this  spirit,  the  late  Rev.  T.  De  Witt  Tal- 
mage  once  shrieked  from  the  United  States  artillery  to  "  thunder 
the  seventh  commandment  into  the  people  of  Utah."  However, 
he  never  asked  for  any  other  arm  of  the  service  to  thunder  bay- 
onet, sabre,  or  otherwise  compel  respect  for  the  ninth  command- 
ment in  any  other  element  of  the  American  public.  Thus,  he 
and  many  others  of  his  profession  have  merrily,  glibly  and  con- 
temptuously borne  unceasing  false  witness  against  the  Mormon 
people;  and  it  is  high  time  that  this  fact  should  be  brought  to 
the  attention  of  all. 

The  following  passages  and  extracts  have  been  selected  as  fair 
examples  of  "  Christian,"  "  American  "  and  "  righteous  "  utter- 
ances "  evoked  by  Mormon  misdoings."  If  they  are  the  sort  of 
things  acceptable  to  decent,  truth-respecting  and  justice-loving 
people,  they  are  here  conveniently  at  hand  for  any  such  who 
may  wish  to  memorize  and  declaim  them. 

In  1882,  the  Rev.  Dr.  Talmage,  as  reported  by  several  news- 
papers, gave  vent  to  the  following : 

"  Mormonism  will  resist  through  the  courts  as  long  as  possible, 
and  then  it  will  go  into  bloody  encounter.  I  am  more  and  more 
persuaded  of  the  truth  of  what  I  said  two  years  ago  in  this  place, 
that  polygamy  will  never  be  driven  out  of  Utah  except  at  the  point 
of  the  bayonet  It  is  well  to  try  peaceful  legislation  at  first,  but  it 
is  well  enough  to  know  that  Mormonism  is  so  thoroughly  intrenched, 
so  contemptuous  of  law,  so  infuriate  against  the  United  States  Gov- 
ernment that  nothing  that  Congress  has  yet  done  will  move  the 
abomination  the  thousandth  part  of  an  inch.  If  President  Buchanan 
had  allowed  Col.  A.  S.  Johnston  to  go  ahead  with  his  army  in  1857, 
after  he  had  arrived  in  Utah,  polygamy  would  have  been  dead  a 
quarter  of  a  century  ago;  but  the  over-married  Mormons  cut  off 
three  of  our  supply  trains,  and  captured  800  oxen  and  forthwith  the 
United  States  Government  went  into  treaty,  the  Mormons  promising 
to  behave  well  if  the  United  States  Government  would  fall  back  and 
let  them  alone.  Our  government  fell  back,  and  up  to  this  hour  the 
organized  libertinism  of  Utah  is  master  of  the  situation." 

313 


314  THE  REAL  MO^MONISM 

Of  course,  no  one  acquainted  with  this  gentleman's  type  of 
mind  and  habits  of  thinking  would  expect  to  find  him  a  consistent 
exponent  of  the  "  scientific  method,"  but  it  is  somewhat  surpris- 
ing to  find  how  fully  his  zeal  against  the  man  of  straw,  which  he 
has  christened  ''  Mormonism,"  bHnds  him  to  the  real  facts  of 
history.  Col.  Johnston  was  not  sent  to  Utah  to  extirpate  polyg- 
amy, but  to  put  down  a  rebellion  falsely  reported  to  exist  there. 
President  Buchanan,  2,800  miles  away,  and  without  telegraphic 
or  railroad  communications,  did  not  forbid  him  to  "  go  ahead  with 
his  army."  Nor  did  the  interference  of  individual  bands  of  Mor- 
mon scouts  and  Indians  with  the  army  supply  trains  necessitate 
Johnston's  failure  to  "  smash  the  Mormons."  If  a  preacher's 
"  facts  "  are  so  distorted,  what  is  to  be  said  of  the  inferences  he 
draws  and  the  advice  he  gives? 

The  Salt  Lake  Tribune  of  January  24,  1882  contains  the  fol- 
lowing : 

"  New  York,  Jan.  23  —  Rev.  Sheldon  Jackson,  for  twenty-three  years 
a  missionary  in  Utah,  Alaska  and  other  parts  of  the  North-west, 
preached  last  night  in  the  Central  Presbyterian  Church  on  Mormonism. 
He  said:  Twenty-five  years  ago  Mormonism,  like  a  little  cloud,  ap- 
peared on  the  horizon  of  Utah.  It  has  increased  until  to-day  it  covers 
that  whole  Territory,  and  holds  controlling  power  in  Utah,  Idaho, 
Wyoming,  Arizona,  and  New  Mexico,  and  almost  in  the  state  of 
Colorado. 

"  Nearly  one-third  of  the  United  States  is  occupied  by  150,000 
Mormons,  who,  urged  on  by  religious  fanaticism,  are  determined  soon 
to  rebel  and  then  fight  to  the  death.  We  think  that  we  make  the 
laws  which  govern  the  territories,  but  the  officials  appointed  to  Utah 
by  the  President  are  mere  figureheads.  John  Taylor  is  the  governing 
power  in  Utah.  .  .  .  John  Taylor  says  to  Utah,  to  Arizona,  or  to  Idaho : 
Send  such  a  man  as  delegate  to  Congress,  and  the  people  dare  not 
disobey  him.  In  Colorado  even  he  can  dictate  who  shall  not  only  be 
congressman,  but  also  two  senators  from  that  State.  Last  summer 
when  all  Christendom  was  praying  for  the  recovery  of  the  beloved 
President  (Garfield),  all  Mormondom  was  praying  for  his  death,  and 
Guiteau  is  now  lauded  to  the  skies  by  these  people.  Ever  since  the 
27th  of  September  Mormon  bishops  have  been  flaunting  their  prayer 
test  in  the  face  of  the  Gentiles.  They  are  now  securing  arms  and 
powder  and  drilling  militia  in  the  back  part  of  Utah  and  preparing 
for  a  rebellion  which  is  inevitable. 

"The  only  means  of  avoiding  this  is  to  educate  the  children.  This 
work  can  be  done  by  Christian  women  teachers.  There  are  to-day 
3,000  Mormon  children  in  the  day  schools  of  Utah  taught  by  mission- 
aries who  are  exerting  untold  influence,  not  only  among  children,  but 
also  among  Mormon  women,  and  500  more  teachers  are  needed.  In 
ten  or  fifteen  years  these  children  will  be  voters  and  citizens^  of  Utah, 
and  the  seed  now  sown  will  solve  the  Mormon  question  without  the 
aid  of  arms  or  law." 

This  is  evidently  a  fragmentary  newspaper  report,  and,  likely 
enough,  misquotes  this  speaker  in  several  particulars  —  note, 
however,  that  people  always  complain  of  being  '* misquoted" 


ANTI-MORMON  ACCUSATIONS  315 

when  they  read  their  silly  sayings  in  print  —  but  it  is  a  typical 
anti-Mormon  deliverance,  and  quite  the  kind  of  thing  that  has 
served  to  inflame  the  popular  mind  against  Mormonism.  It  is 
probable,  on  any  assumption,  that  this  widely  traveled  gospeler 
repeated  the  groundless  slander  that  all  Mormons  prayed  for  Gar- 
field's death  and  lauded  Guiteau,  the  assassin,  to  the  skies.  The 
same  accusation  has  been  made  by  others,  quite  as  "  honorable 
men,"  but  it  is  utterly  and  absolutely  mendacious.  It  seems  to 
have  been  first  made  in  a  religious  newspaper  of  Boston,  but, 
although  widely  challenged,  was  neither  substantiated  or  retracted. 
(It  had  probably  become  a  "  matter  of  faith.") 

The  present  writer,  with  the  intention  of  qualifying  to  speak 
honestly  on  Mormonism,  carefully  searched  through  the  files  of 
all  leading  Mormon  and  pro-Mormon  newspapers  and  magazines, 
issued  between  the  dates  July  2d  and  Sept.  27,  1881,  and  failed 
to  find  one  single  remark,  expressed  or  implied,  that  indicated 
the  hope  that  Garfield  would  die;  not  one  single  remark  derog- 
atory to  the  eminent  sufferer;  not  one  single  remark  in  any  way 
favorable  to  Guiteau,  or  offering  excuse  or  extenuation  for  his 
crime.  The  Mormon  people  received  no  very  tangible  benefits 
from  Garfield's  hands,  and  some  —  perhaps  many  —  individuals 
among  them  may  have  expressed  opinions  similar  to  that  men- 
tioned above,  as  did  many  people,  not  Mormons,  when  McKinley 
was  assassinated.  But  in  neither  case  can  all  the  people  justly 
be  blamed  for  the  unwisdom  of  the  few,  who  speak  from  preju- 
dice, political  or  sectional. 

Of  course,  although  it  was  no  missionary's  business,  it  was 
scandalous  that  John  Taylor  alone,  as  alleged,  should  have  con- 
trolled the  votes  and  representatives  of  five  states,  when  New 
York,  Pennsylvania,  and  New  England  are  divided  among  and 
with  difficulty  controlled  by  numerous  corrupt  political  ''  rings  " 
and  "  machines,"  but  the  honest  historian  would  joyfully  record, 
were  it  only  possible,  that  all  the  venal  and  worthless  creatures 
ever  sent  to  Utah  by  the  Federal  Government  had  been  mere 
"  figureheads."  Posterity  would  have  gained  a  higher  idea  of 
our  civilization  and  our  people,  even  though  back-biting  mission- 
aries had  missed  the  opportunity  they  have  so  industriously  ex- 
ploited. 

It  is  curious,  however,  when  the  Mormons  are  "  determined 
soon  to  rebel  and  then  [suicidally]  fight  to  the  death,"  and  are 
"  securing  arms  and  powder  and  drilling  militia  in  the  back  part 
of  Utah,"  wherever  that  may  be  —  it  is  not  indicated  on  the  map 
—  that  eastern  backers  of  mission  enterprises  are  urged  to  send 
five  hundred  women  teachers  to  brave  the  terrors  of  this  turbu- 
lent and  immoral  territory.    The  "  arms  and  powder  and  drilling  " 


3i6  THE  REAL  MORMONISM 

would  seem  to  indicate  a  more  or  less  immediate  intention  to 
"  resort  to  violence."  In  this  event,  the  education  of  the  chil- 
dren, *'  the  only  means  of  avoiding  this,"  must  needs  be  hurried 
amazingly,  if  it  is  to  avail.  (A  "  hurry  call "  to  prospective 
contributors!) 

Jackson's  accusations  are  of  a  kind  with  those  of  numerous 
other  missionaries  in  Utah.  Thus,  another  Presbyterian  mis- 
sionary in  the  late  "  70s  "  is  quoted  as  saying  that  his  life  was  in 
constant  danger  in.  Sanpete  County,  and  that  he  was  obliged  to 
preach  with  a  Bible  in  one  hand  and  a  pistol  in  the  other.  (Ex- 
cellent conditions  for  evoking  spiritual  and  convincing  dis- 
courses.) As  a  matter  of  fact,  no  more  murderous  assault  had 
been  attempted  than  verbal  insults,  probably  accompanied  by 
vague  threats  of  violence  by  a  gang  of  loiterers,  and  this  gentle- 
man is  quoted  as  having  acknowledged  as  much  —  privately.  A 
Methodist  missionary  in  the  northern  part  of  the  territory  had  a 
similarly  narrow  and  "  miraculous "  escape  from  death  in  the 
performance  of  his  "duty"  of  abusing  the  Mormons'  religion 
in  the  hope  of  inducing  enthusiasm  for  his  own  sect.  (He  had 
been  sent  to  Utah  from  the  Northern  New  York  conference, 
where,  as  stated,  his  pulpit  methods  were  not  wholly  acceptable, 
on  account  of  the  violence  and  "  uncouthness  "  of  his  expres- 
sions.) Both  these  gentlemen  related  their  "  sad  experiences  " 
to  appreciative  eastern  audiences,  and  thereby  gained  high  esteem 
as  veritable  Damiens,  self-exiled  among  the  "moral  lepers"  of 
the  Rocky  Mountains. 

From  the  depths  of  sodden  imbecility  the  abuse  of  Mormonism 
rushes  to  the  shivering  heights  of  barbarous  truculence.  What, 
pray,  is  the  witchcraft  in  this  system  that  so  often  transforms 
people,  otherwise  decent  and  righteous,  into  howling  harpies  or 
callous  barbarians?  The  following  passage,  which  the  writer 
found  quoted  in  a  Utah  newspaper  of  1881,  seemed  so  utterly 
impossible  that  he  presents  it  only  after  verifying  its  presence 
in  the  files  of  the  Presbyterian  journal  that  first  disgraced  itself 
by  printing  it.  In  the  Interior  (Chicago)  for  April  28th,  1881, 
this  occurs : 

"  Dr.  Crosby  says  that  Mormonism  ought  to  be  dynamited,  and  in 
so  saying,  he  shows  that  he  is  a  good  practical  engineer.  Mormonism 
is  lechery,  covering  itself  in  a  garb  of  religion  and  indulging  in  a 
mixed  dialect  of  cant  and  cursing.  Like  Hell-gate  at  the  entrance  of 
New  York  harbor  (!),  it  has  its  foundations  deep  and  strong,  taking 
hold  of  the  bottom  rocks  of  depravity,  and  like  that  reef,  it  will  never 
yield  to  anything  but  force.  Crime  never  does.  All  the  moral  in- 
fluences of  society  are  expected  to  restrain  the  indurated  characters 
and  consciences  of  criminals  in  vain.  They  proceed  to  violence,  and 
by  violence  alone  can  they  be  repelled.  There  are  500  bigamists  in  the 
penitentiaries  of  the  various  states,  and  yet  fresh  concubines  are  in 


ANTI-MORMON  ACCUSATIONS  317 

process  of  shipment  by  the  carload  through  Chicago  for  the  supply 
of  these  leering  beasts,  who  not  only  defy  law,  but  are  waging  an 
open  and  avowed  warfare  for  the  possession  of  the  surrounding  ter- 
ritories. The  people  in  the  vicinity  of  Nauvoo,  Illinois,  rose  in  their 
righteous  wrath,  and  gave  the  criminals  a  short  alternative  between 
hemp  and  a  hegira.  There  is  not  a  savage  tribe  in  America  so  low 
down  in  the  scale  of  decency  as  the  Mormons  —  nor  would  they  all  be, 
if  in  paint  and  on  the  warpath,  so  dangerous  to  the  peace  and  safety 
of  the  country  as  are  the  white  savages  of  the  Mountain  Meadow 
(massacre).  Let  the  lands  and  tenements  of  the  Mormons  be  thrown 
open  to  original  entry  by  civilized  settlers.  The  United  States  army 
is  not  large  —  and  it  has  enough  to  do  without  defending  these  out- 
laws. Let  it  be  understood  that  the  army  will  keep  out  of  the  way 
in  Utah  for  four  years,  and  that  the  use  and  occupation  of  Mormon 
property  for  a  year  is  to  give  a  pre-emption  title.  There  are  enough 
young  men  in  the  west  and  south,  who  are  seeking  homes,  to  finish  up 
the  pest,  to  fumigate  the  territory,  and  to  establish  themselves  there 
in  ninety  days  after  the  word  '  go '  is  given.  All  the  government 
needs  to  do  is  to  let  civilization  have  the  same  chance  at  the  white 
savages  that  it  has  always  given  to  settlers  in  dealing  with  the  com- 
paratively innocent  red  men." 

It  seems  fairly  evident  that  this  trenchant  editor  of  the  In- 
terior had  neglected  to  emulate  Rev.  John  Cotton's  example  and 
*'  sweeten  his  mouth,"  if  only  "  with  a  morsel  of  Calvin,"  before 
he  penned  his  intemperate  and  brutal  tirade.  Not  only  is  he 
contemptuously  obUvious  to  the  fact  that  the  federal  courts, 
after  a  thorough  threshing-out  of  the  matter,  had  absolved  the 
Mormon  leaders  from  complicity  in  the  Mountain  Meadows  mas- 
sacre, and  brought  to  justice  the  only  men  upon  whom  the  crime 
could  be  fastened,  but  he  openly  and  shamelessly  advocates  the 
commission  of  an  enormity  of  even  huger  proportions.  The 
Mormons,  he  tells  us,  are  the  worst  savages  in  the  land,  and,  as 
such,  entitled  to  no  rights  which  a  "  civilized  man "  should 
recognize.  That  seems  to  be  the  correct  attitude  toward  sav- 
ages, and  has  been  indorsed  by  the  august  examples  of  Cortez, 
Pizarro,  and  other  "pioneers  of  Christian  civilization."  It  is  a 
shame  that  such  "  savages  "  as  the  Mormons  should  be  allowed 
to  possess  "  lands  and  tenements,"  even  though  these  have  been 
created  by  their  own  industry  and  enterprise.  Let  us  then  take 
an  arrow  from  the  full  quivers  of  the  Spanish  conquerors  of 
America:  they  have  created  the  precedents.  Deprive  the  Mor- 
mons of  their  property  "  without  due  process  of  law  " —  change 
the  Constitution,  if  necessary  —  and  turn  it  over  to  the  chaste 
and  exemplary  "young  men  in  the  west  and  south,  who  are 
seeking  homes,"  and  would  not  hesitate  to  steal  them.  (Does 
the  crime  of  robbery  find  extenuation,  when  "  savages  "  are  de- 
spoiled?) The  Government  was  more  considerate  than  this, 
even  with  the  red  Indians,  but  that  is  no  superlative  indorsement 
of  its  policy.    The  British,  in  perpetrating  the  Acadian  atrocity, 


3i8  THE  REAL  MORMONISM 

merely  transferred  a  population  from  one  location  to  another  one 
considered  "  more  appropriate."  But  this  Presbyterian  editor 
wants  all  the  Mormon  people,  even  the  "  wronged  women  "  and 
the  jolly  little  children,  driven  from  their  homes  into  the  alkali 
deserts  to  live  or  perish  as  predestined  by  "  divine  decrees." 
(And  all  this  for  the  "  glory  of  God  " !) 

When  we  read  such  a  screed  we  are  better  able  to  understand 
how  was  perpetrated  by  clerical  instigation  the  brutal  massacre 
of  Haun's  Mill,  in  Missouri,  when  women  and  little  boys  were 
shot  to  death  by  an  anti-Mormon  mob,  and  which  is  never 
remembered  by  those  who  verbigerate  about  the  Mountain 
Meadow;  also,  to  measure  the  worth  of  a  religious  profession 
that  can  in  any  way  justify  the  cowardly  assaults  on  the  people 
of  Nauvoo. 

The  religious  press,  however,  has  not  fought  the  "  Mormon 
monster "  single-handed.  Even  secular  editors,  who  usually 
avoid  issues  of  this  kind,  have  now  and  then  evinced  anxiety  to 
be  "in  at  the  death."  Very  generally,  also,  these  "  lay  "  attacks 
are  as  ill-judged  as  they  are  vulgar.  A  particularly  aggravated 
example  appeared  in  the  New  York  Herald  for  September  15, 
1855.     The  occasion  is  thus  related  by  B.  H.  Roberts: 

"In  August,  1854,  Lieutenant-Colonel  E.  J.  Steptoe  arrived  in  Salt 
Lake,  with  a  detachment  of  United  States  troops  en  route  for  Cali- 
fornia, but  remained  in  Utah  until  the  following  spring.  During  their 
stay,  it  is  said,  that  members  of  the  command  prostituted  a  number 
of  squaws  and  also  seduced  a  number  of  white  women.  The  latter, 
having  lost  caste  among  their  former  associates,  followed  their  be- 
trayers to  California  I " 

This  incident,  sadly  characteristic  of  army  camp  life,  is  really 
significant   in   no   particular   whatever.     Had   it  occurred   else- 
where than  in  Utah,  it  would  have  escaped  editorial  comment, 
except,    perhaps,    in    local    newspapers.     It    furnished    a    good 
chance  for  anti-Mormon  invective,  however,  and  consequently, 
some  editorial  writer  of  the  Herald  embalmed  it,  as  follows: 
"  This   is   momentous  news,   and   very   significant,   withal.     It   shows 
that   the   Mormon   women   are   ripe   for  rebellion,   and   that  a   detach- 
ment of  the  regular  army  is  a  greater  terror  to  the  patriarchs  of  the 
Mormon   Jerusalem  than  Indians   or   drouth  or  grass-hoppers.    It  in- 
dicates the  way,  too,   for  the   abolishment  of  the  peculiar   institution 
of  Utah.    The  astonishing  results  of  the  expedition  of  Col.  Steptoe,  in 
this  view,  do  most  distinctly  suggest  the  future  policy  of  the  govern- 
ment, touching  this  nest  of  Mormons.     It  is  to  send  out  to  the  Great 
Salt  Lake  a  fresh  detachment  of  young,  good-looking  soldiers,  and  at 
the  end  of  two  or  three  months  order  them  off  to  California  and  re- 
place them  by  a  new  detachment  at  Salt  Lake  City,  and  so  on  until 
those  Turks  of  the  desert  are  reduced,  by  female  desertions  to  the 
standard  Christian  regulation  of  one  wife  apiece.    Unquestionably,  if, 
with  a  taking  detachment  of  the  army  in  a  new  and  showy  uniform, 
the    President   were   to   send   out  to   Utah   at  this   crisis   of   impend- 


ANTI-MORMON  ACCUSATIONS  319 

ing  famine,  a  corps  of  regular  disciplined  women's  rights  women, 
to  lay  down  the  law  to  their  sisters  among  the  Mormons,  they  would 
soon  compel  the  patriarchal  authorities  of  Salt  Lake  to  an  exodus  to 
some  other  region  beyond  the  reach  of  our  gallant  army,  and  our 
heroic  warriors  in  petticoats  who  know  their  rights,  and,  knowing,  dare 
maintain  them.  .  .  .  We  recommend,  therefore,  to  the  President  and 
secretary  of  the  Interior,  the  policy  of  detailing  another  detachment 
of  troops  for  Great  Salt  Lake  City  with  the  auxiliary  force  of  half  a 
dozen  regular  women's  rights  women  whatever  the  cost;  and  thus, 
even  should  the  grasshoppers  fail  to  conquer  the  territory  in  the  ex- 
pulsion of  the  Saints,  the  work  may  be  done  among  the  wives  of  the 
apostles." 

The  flippant  style  of  this  editorial  might  almost  suggest  that 
it  was  a  labored  effort  at  humor.  How  the  downfall  of  a  few 
unfortunate  women  could  possibly  prove  that  "  the  Mormon 
women  are  ripe  for  rebellion  "  is  past  the  comprehension  of  any- 
one not  a  "  Mormon-eater  '*  or  a  humorist.  One  might  as  justly 
suppose  that  the  ail-too- frequent  re-enactment  of  this  sort  of 
tragedy  in  every  city  and  village  in  Christendom  was  a  proof 
that  "  Christian  women  are  ripe  for  rebellion."  Probably,  how- 
ever, new  and  special  canons  of  logic,  as  well  as  new  standards 
of  morals,  must  be  adopted  when  dealing  with  such  exceptional 
people  as  Mormons.  The  mention  of  "  women's  rights  women," 
also,  seems  sadly  out  of  place.  This  class  of  agitators  have  some 
serious  failings,  but  the  "  humor "  that  makes  them  possible  ac- 
cessories to  a  proposed  systematic  debauchery  of  their  "  unawak- 
ened  sisters  "  is  dismal. 

It  IS  quite  evident  that,  whether  or  not  the  writer  of  this  filth 
was  "  only  in  fun,"  or  whether  he  merely  considered  his  style 
witty,  there  is  here  an  undercurrent  of  earnestness  that  is  a  sad 
exhibition  in  any  person  having  access  to  the  columns  of  a  great 
newspaper. 

Sadder,  also,  is  the  fact  that  the  same  or  similar  suggestions 
have  been  made  in  dead  earnest  by  a  host  of  other  anti-Mormon 
writers.  These  people,  forgetting  the  divine  principle,  "  pro- 
vide things  honest  in  the  sight  of  all  men.  .  .  .  Overcome  evil 
with  good,"  have  deliberately  advocated  the  introduction  of  im- 
moral characters  and  practices  into  the  comparatively  unworldly 
settlements  of  Utah,  in  order  that  virtues  irregularly  derived 
may  be  neutralized,  and  thus  remove  a  galling  spectacle  from 
the  sight  of  evangelical  believers,  who  find  the  propagation  of 
virtue  a  much  more  serious  business. 

A  choice  example  of  this  sort  of  thing  appears  in  the  Salt  Lake 
Tribune  of  March  6,  1881.  Under  the  caption,  "What  Utah 
Needs,"  some  critic  of  Mormonism,  who  evidently  considers  his 
own  a  judicial  type  of  mind,  delivers  himself  thus: 

"  Apropos  of  the  new  and  petty  war  recently  started  by  the  municipal 


320  THE  REAL  MORMONISM 

government  on  the  women  of  the  town,  the  liquor  dealers  and  the 
gambling  fraternity,  one  of  the  enemy  said  to  us  the  other  day : 

"'  *  It  may  be  a  hard  thing  to  say,  and  perhaps  harder  still  to  main- 
tain, but  I  believe  that  billiard  halls,  saloons,  and  houses  of  ill-fame 
are  more  powerful  reforming  agencies  here  in  Utah  than  churches  and 
schools,  or  even  the  Tribune.  What  the  young  Mormons  want  is  to 
be  free.  So  long  as  they  are  slaves,  it  matters  not  much  to  what  or 
to  whom  they  are,  and  they  can  be  nothing.  ...  At  all  events,  I  re- 
joice when  I  see  the  young  Mormon  hoodlums  playing  billiards,  getting 
drunk,  running  with  bad  women,  anything  to  break  the  shackles  they 
were  born  in,  and  that  every  so-called  religious  or  virtuous  influence 
only  makes  the  stronger.  Some  of  them  will  go  quite  to  the  bad,  but  it 
is  better  so,  for  they  are  made  of  poor  stuff,  and  since  there  is  no  good 
reason  why  they  were  begun  for,  let  them  soon  be  done  for,  and  the 
sooner  the  better.  Most  of  them,  however,  will  soon  weary  of  vice 
and  dissipation,  and  be  all  the  stronger  for  the  knowledge  of  it,  and 
of  its  vanity.  At  the  very  least,  they  will  be  free,  and  it  is  of  such 
vital  consequence  that  a  man  should  be  free,  that  in  my  opinion  his 
freedom  is  cheaply  won  at  the  cost  of  some  familiarity  with  low  life. 
And  while  it  is  not  desirable  in  itself,  it  is  to  me  tolerable,  because  it 
appears  to  offer  the  only  inducement  strong  enough  to  entice  men  out 
of  slavery  into  freedom.' 

"  Probably  our  friend  was  wrong,  but  it  reminded  us,  to  compare 
great  things  with  small,  of  the  roaring,  flaming  hell  through  which  the 
French  nation  broke  its  chains.  Nothing  short  of  that  unparalleled 
upheaval,  which  involved  all  forms  of  human  slavery  in  one  smoking 
bloody  ruin,  would  have  effected  anything.  The  national  convention 
spared  nothing  in  Heaven  or  in  earth,  not  even  itself;  in  the  fury  of 
madness  it  dethroned  God,  beheaded  the  king,  conquered  Europe,  and 
decimated  itself  time  and  time  again;  but  within  its  brief  term  of  three 
years  it  recovered  itself,  and  from  that  memorable  date  France,  after 
a  century  of  revolutions  required  to  perfect  the  work  then  begun,  is 
at  last  the  freest  and  most  prosperous  nation  in  Europe."  [And  so  on 
ad  nauseam  for  the  remainder  of  the  column.] 

This  editorial  is  noteworthy  only  because  of  its  stupidity  and 
its  shameless  advocacy  of  vice  and  immorality,  which,  so  we  are 
accustomed  to  assume,  should  be  discouraged  by  all  people  lay- 
ing claims  to  decency.  If  the  several  vices  prescribed  for  Mor- 
mon youth,  in  order  to  cure  them  of  their  grave  attack  of  slavery, 
are  to  be  so  effective  in  their  cases,  why  not  recommend  that  they 
be  included  in  the  "  education  '*  of  all  young  men  ?  It  might 
help  to  develop  the  true  American  spirit  of  independence.  Why 
the  editor  of  the  Tribune  quoted  this  trash  from  "  one  of  the 
enemy,"  if  he  did  not  entirely  endorse  it  is  not  clear.  It  seems 
amazingly  like  the  typical  disowned  child  of  one's  own  brain, 
which  one  modestly,  although  rather  stupidly,  fathers  off  upon 
some  anonymous,  and  likely  fictitious,  "  friend,"  probably  be- 
cause he  is  ashamed  to  acknowledge  it  himself.  It  shows  merely 
to  what  desperate  extremes  the  opponents  of  Mormonism  had 
come. 

The  Tribune  was  the  recognized  organ  of  the  anti-Mormon 


ANTI-MORMON  ACCUSATIONS  321 

party  in  Utah.  It  was  read  and  quoted  by  all  anti-Mormon 
missionaries.  It  printed  full  and  appreciative  reports  of  the  con- 
claves and  sermons  of  members  of  their  several  sects.  It  no- 
ticed Mormon  meetings  only  in  abusive  and  burlesque  articles, 
including,  for  example,  the  preposterous  remarks  of  "  Elder 
Adam  T.  Ramp,"  and  other  silly  satires.  No  protest  from  its 
clerical  allies  against  any  of  its  utterances  ever  reached  the  eyes 
or  ears  of  the  public.  Some  of  them  actually  endorsed  its 
shameless  opinions,  presumably  holding  that,  in  the  case  of  the 
Mormons,  at  least,  "  the  end  justifies  the  means,'*  and 

"  That  though  men  serve  the  devil  and  lust, 
They  will  with  one  accord, 
When  tired  and  done  with  such  sweet  fun. 
Run  panting  to  the  Lord,"  * 

and  attend  some  evangelical  conventicle. 

Although  in  some  moods  the  Tribune  recognized  that  its 
"  sacred  cause  "  was  so  desperate  that  the  Mormon  youth  must 
be  seduced  from  their  innocence  by  an  introduction  to  "  real 
life,"  other  methods  of  attack  were  used  occasionally.  Thus,  in 
an  editorial  printed  in  the  issue  of  February  25,  1881,  just  nine 
days  before  the  one  just  quoted,  the  following  occurs: 

"One  favorite  defense  of  polygamy  on  the  part  of  our  church  con- 
temporaries is  to  charge  almost  universal  licentiousness  on  the  part  of 
those  not  in  polygamy,  as  if  one  wrong  justified  another.^  .  .  .  Super- 
stition is  invoked  to  weave  its  benumbing  influence  around  a  woman 
before  she  can  be  made  to  accept  polygamy;  that  is,  if  she  is  a  real 
woman.  .  .  .  The  result  upon  the  progeny  of  such  women  is  thor- 
oughly understood  by  scientists.  It  is  in  the  children  of  these  unnat- 
ural unions  that  nature  works  her  revenges,  and  it  is  so  apparent  al- 
ready in  this  city  that  a  reformatory  institution  is  called  for.  Mor- 
mons complain  of  the  agitation  of  this  subject  by  gentiles.  We  tell 
them  in  all  sincerity,  that  could  they  have  kept  gentiles  and  gentile  In- 
fluences altogether  away  from  Utah  until  this  day,  that  pride,  shame, 
respect  for  law,  respect  for  women  and  for  virtue  would  have  been 
dead  here  now.  .  .  .  The  system  means  the  death  of  the  soul,  and  when 
men  seek  to  justify  it  on  the  ground  that,  in  the  other  walks  of  life,  men 
sometimes  make  brutes  of  themselves  and  women  lose  their  womanhood, 
it  only  shows  that  the  system  has  made  such  men  dead  to  either  a  sense 
of  justice  or  sense  of  shame." 

People  unfamiliar  with  life  and  conditions  in  Utah  at  this 
period  would  obtain  a  somewhat  vague  idea  from  reading  news- 
paper editorials.  In  one  week  a  reformatory  is  needed  for  Mor- 
mon juvenile  delinquents;  in  the  next,  vices  of  several  varieties 
are  recommended  to  neutralize  virtues  rooted  in  slavery.  In 
February,  the  editor  thinks  that,  but  for  "  gentile  influence,"  the 
moral  condition  of  the  territory  would  have  been  hopeless;  in 
March,  "gentile"  vices  are  declared  to  be  the  great  desiderata 

*  "  Poem  on  Universalism,"  by  John  Peck, 
t  Italics   ours. 


322  THE  REAL  MORMONISM 

of  its  social  and  religious  life.  And  this  is  the  way  in  which 
"  we  tell  them  in  all  sincerity,  that  could  they  have  kept  gentiles 
and  gentile  influences  altogether  away  from  Utah,  that  pride, 
shame,  respect  for  the  opinions  of  men,  respect  for  women  and 
for  virtue  would  have  been  dead ! " 

In  criticizing  the  utterances  of  the  Tribune,  however,  we 
must  not  forget  that  many  of  the  "  Gentiles  "  in  Utah  at  that 
time  were  good  and  earnest  men,  honestly  bent  on  achieving 
lasting  benefits  for  the  Mormon  people,  to  the  best  of  their  lights. 
In  their  efforts  to  convert  the  Mormons  from  their  "  errors," 
however,  they  met  with  nearly  insuperable  discouragements. 
The  reason  for  this  is  best  explained  in  the  words  of  one  of  their 
number  writing  in  1882: 

"  The  Mormons  shrink  from  a  civilization  that  introduces  the  brothel 
with  its  advance  guard,  fills  our  papers  with  unmentionable  advertise- 
ments, and  makes  of  every  city  a  sink  of  iniquity;  a  civilization  that 
converts  women  to  prostitution  faster  than  it  does  to  Christian  life, 
fills  our  ears  with  clerical  scandals  and  our  criminal  courts  with  *  Chris- 
tian' defaulters;  that  elevates  Restellism  into  a  social  institution,  and 
leads  to  a  prevalence  of  foeticide  and  infanticide  which,  if  its  extent 
were  known,  might  well  fill  us  with  horror  and  dismay." — Utah  and 
its  People.    By  a  Gentile. 

Probably  such  considerations  as  the  foregoing  were  powerful 
in  confirming  the  Mormons  in  preferring  polygamy,  even  if  only 
as  the  "  lesser  of  two  evils."  They  may  have  wished  to  '*  let 
bad  enough  alone." 

But,  while  the  Protestant  clergy,  and  their  recognized  organs, 
were  ceaselessly  agitating  what,  in  their  minds,  appeared  prob- 
ably the  **  cause  of  true  religion  and  sound  morals" — and  such 
has  ever  been  the  slogan  of  persecutors  —  there  is  very  respect- 
able evidence  for  the  contention  that  they  were  in  reality  being 
kept  in  a  condition  of  chronic  inflammation  by  persons  having 
other,  and  very  different,  objects  to  achieve  by  the  enactment  of 
coercive  and  sumptuary  legislation  for  Utah.  That  such  per- 
sons were  no  others  than  those  familiar  American  pests,  the 
corrupt  politician,  the  hungry  "  carpet-bagger,"  and  the  sufferer 
from  insatiate  greed,  is  suggested  in  the  following  passage : 

"  The  end  and  object  of  this  whole  system  of  hostile  measures  against 
Utah  seems  to  be  the  destruction  of  popular  rule  in  that  territory.  I 
may  be  wrong  —  for  I  can  only  reason  from  the  fact  that  is  known  to  the 
fact  that  is  not  known  —  but  I  do  not  think  that  the  promoters  of  this 
legislation  care  a  straw  how  much  or  how  little  the  Mormons  are 
married.  It  is  not  their  wives,  but  their  property ;  not  beauty,  but  booty, 
they  are  after.  I  have  not  much  faith  in  political  piety,  but  I  do  most 
devoutly  believe  in  the  hunger  of  political  adventurers  for  spoils  of  every 
kind.  How  else  can  you  account  for  the  struggles  they  are  now  making 
to  get  possession  of  all  the  local  offices  in  the  territory,  including  the 
treasurer,  auditor,  and  all  depositories  of  public  money?    If  they  do 


ANTI-MORMON  ACCUSATIONS  323 

not  want  to  rob  the  people,  why  do  they  reach  out  their  hands  for  such 
a  grab  as  this?" — Judge  Jeremiah  S,  Black.  Federal  Jurisdiction  in 
the  Territories,  p.  24. 

Whether  Judge  Black's  suspicions  were  correct  or  not,  the 
fact  remains  that  "  polygamy  "  was  not  the  real  and  fundamental 
objection  against  Mormonism,  nor  the  real  occasion  against  the 
Mormons.  It  was  merely  a  convenient  word  to  be  used  much 
after  the  fashion  in  which  the  howling  dervishes  shout  the 
Arabic  name  for  God,  '*  Allah!  Allah!  Allah!"  until  they 
actually  induce  a  phrensy,  which  they  seem  to  consider  a  very 
effective  condition  for  glorifying  God.  Because  the  real  occa- 
sion against  the  Mormons  was  precisely  Mormonism  itself,  every 
convenient  method  of  attack  that  promised  any  advantage  against 
these  people  was  worked  to  its  full  extent.  The  Salt  Lake 
Tribune,  as  the  leading  anti-Mormon  organ,  ran  the  full  chro- 
matic gamut.  Thus,  under  date  Oct.  8,  1880,  we  find  the  fol- 
lowing with  caption,  "The  Real  Object": 

"  Polygamy  is  not  the  worst  curse  of  the  Mormon  church.  The  leaders 
cling  to  polygamy  because  it  is  a  bait  to  catch  and  hold  the  gfudgeons 
of  their  faith.  As  there  was  never  a  poor  white  in  the  South  in  the 
old  days  who  did  not  dream  of  sometime  being  able  to  own  at  least  one 
negro,  so  it  is  the  dream  of  the  poorest  and  most  abject  Mormon  to 
sometime  have  a  'happy  family'  of  two  or  three  wives  of  his  own. 
But  the  dream  of  the  leaders  is  much  more  extensive  in  its  range.  As 
George  Q.  Cannon  is  now  able  to  direct  from  his  office  in  this  city  how 
every  Mormon  in  Utah  shall  vote,  so  his  dream  is  that  before  he  dies 
he  will  have  the  casting  of  the  decisive  vote  in  not  only  Utah,  but  Idaho, 
Montana,  Arizona,  Colorado  and  New  Mexico.  His  idea  is  by  a  balance 
of  power  to  absolutely  carry  all  this  region  —  an  empire  in  extent  — 
beyond  the  control  of  the  United  States,  and  to  bring  it  under  the 
control  of  the  Mormon  church." 

This  is  the  "  armed  insurrection "  scare  again,  an  effort  to 
fan  the  dying  flames  of  prejudice.  If  Mr.  Cannon,  or  any  other 
leader  in  the  Mormon  church,  really  nurtured  any  such  ambi- 
tion, and  the  fact  could  be  proved,  it  would  seem  a  waste  of 
space  to  abuse  polygamy  so  often  and  at  such  length,  while  intro- 
ducing this  accusation  of  "  disloyalty  "  only  as  a  "  filler,"  while 
waiting,  apparently,  for  some  new  happy  thought  of  sensational 
and  slanderous  character.  The  methods  of  this  newspaper  are 
the  very  best  evidence  of  the  utter  futility  of  its  charges. 

Another  healthy  example  of  anti-Mormon  utterances  is  the 
speech  of  Judge  Jacob  S.  Boreman  before  a  meeting  of  the 
Ladies  Anti-polygamy  Society  in  a  Salt  Lake  Methodist  chapel 
on  the  evening  of  Feb.  2y,  1882. 

Judge  Boreman  was  one  of  the  numerous  "  noted  jurists  "  ap- 
pointed by  the  Federal  Government  to  "  help  the  Mormons  solve 
their  problems."    He  is  described  as  *'  a  kindly  and  high-minded 


yt4  THE  REAL  MORMONISM 

Christian  gentleman,  and  a  member  of  the  Methodist  church." 
His  deliverance  before  this  virtuous  conclave  is  reported  in  part 
in  the  Salt  Lake  Tribune  of  February  28th,  as  follows : 

"Now  when  you  compare  Kansas  with  this  territory  [Utah],  you  can 
see  what  Americans  can  do  for  a  place,  and  you  can  see  what  inspira- 
tion can  do  for  it.  Had  Utah  been  settled  by  Americans  these  barren 
mountains  would  be  now  pouring  forth  their  treasures  of  gold  and 
silver.  But  now  what  a  beggarly  picture  this  —  a  lot  of  knaves  and 
trembling  widows  and  orphans,  and  the  priests  fattening  at  their  ex- 
pense. They  have  run  the  territory  into  the  ground  for  forty  years, 
and  now,  I  think,  it  is  time  that  they  turned  it  over  to  Americans  for 
a  while,  and  let  us  see  what  we  can  do  with  it.  We  will  knock  the 
shackles  from  the  wrists  of  the  people  of  Utah  and  make  something  out 
of  them. 

"  When  Garfield  was  here  the  Mormons  gave  out  that  they  had 
swallowed  him.  Now  let's  see  how  they  did  it.  Walking  down  Main 
Street  one  day,  he  told  me  that  while  traveling  in  Utah  men  slipped  up 
and  whispered  in  his  ear,  '  For  the  Lord's  sake  help  us.  We  are  bound 
to  the  priests  and  want  them  broken  up.  We  are  afraid  to  say  this 
openly.     Don't  believe  a  word  the  lying  priests  say.' 

"  Now  they  did  not  swallow  Garfield,  and  I  don't  think  they  are  getting 
Arthur  down  very  fast.  They  won't  want  another  Guiteau  to  crow 
over  very  soon.  The  twelve  apostles  and  John  Taylor  are  now  running 
this  country,  and  not  the  Mormons.  It  is  the  leaders  who  are  getting 
all  the  good.  When  these  white-headed  old  rascals  get  revelations  the 
people  have  to  bow.  What  blasphemy  to  say  that  these  men  are  in 
league  with  God!  We  don't  want  a  lot  of  sheep  to  be  driven  about 
as  the  leader  dictates.  We  want  a  few  men  of  common  sense  and 
honesty  to  run  the  country.  We  can't  run  it  any  longer  on  the  European 
plan. 

"  When  the  [polygamy  investigation]  commission  comes  polygamy 
will  be  a  thing  of  the  past,  and  a  few  men  will  be  playing  checkers 
behind  the  bars  of  the  penitentiary.  The  leaders  will  be  disappointed, 
but  the  masses  will  find  that  the  Commission,  with  50,000,000  pairs  of 
eyes  looking  at  them,  will  be  the  best  friends  they  ever  had. 

"  Such  a  commission  will  do  nothing  blind  or  rash.  They  will 
thoroughly  understand  their  position,  and  be  careful  to  do  the  square 
thing  all  around.  Then  the  children  of  the  present  generation  will  rise 
up  and  call  it  blessed." 

Mr.  Justice  Boreman  probably  read  this  report  in  the  Tribune, 
but,  if  he  was  misquoted  in  any  particular,  he  never  published 
any  complaint.  We  may  assume,  therefore,  that  he  fully  con- 
sented to  father  the  statements  attributed  to  him.  It  is  a  sad 
exhibition  of  the  way  in  which  sectarian  prejudice  and  the  con- 
ceit of  righteousness  will  aggravate  the  habitual  depravity  of  our 
most  "  unruly  member."  The  judge  was  evidently  not  '*  greater 
than  he  that  taketh  a  city."  As  a  man  sufficiently  informed  and 
experienced  to  hold  the  office  of  a  federal  judge,  even  Utah  ter- 
ritory, he  was  undoubtedly  fully  aware  of  the  meaning  and  prob- 
able influence  of  all  his  utterances.  And  they  do  not  rate  him 
very  high. 

According  to  this  jurist,  the  Mormons  are  not  "Americans." 


ANTI-MORMON  ACCUSATIONS  325 

Although  very  many  of  their  early  leaders  were  of  the  "  best 
blood  of  colonial  New  England,"  and  the  majority  of  them  owned 
legitimate  descent  from  revolutionary  soldiers,  things  which  usu- 
ally constitute  very  good  evidences  of  right  to  the  title  "  Ameri- 
can," the  Mormons  were  something  else.  Evidently  a  profession 
of  Mormonism  acts  as  an  "  estoppel "  to  all  claims  in  this  direc- 
tion. Had  the  Mormons  been  Americans,  he  is  quoted  as  say- 
ing, '*  these  barren  mountains  would  be  now  pouring  forth  their 
treasures  of  gold  and  silver."  The  highest  reach  of  true  Ameri- 
can effort,  therefore,  is  "  gold-digging."  However,  the  Mor- 
mons, more  interested  in  prophets  than  in  profits,  sought  to 
found  a  secure  community  in  the  territory  before  opening  the 
mines.  In  any  other  people  similarly  situated,  we  would  have 
heard  of  the  great  wisdom  of  this  course.  But  Brigham  Young, 
who  stated,  in  defense  of  his  policy,  that  the  "  people  can  not  eat 
gold  and  silver,"  could  have  spoken  only  from  some  "  ulterior 
motive." 

Judge  Boreman  has  allowed  his  Methodist  proclivities  to  lead 
him  blindly  into  assisting  the  efforts  of  other  Utah  **  gentiles," 
not  peculiarly  Methodist,  whose  zeal  to  deal  with  the  Mormons, 
as  the  Israelites  of  old  are  said  to  have  dealt  with  the  Philistines, 
was  largely  spurred  by  the  visions  of  a  land  "  out  of  whose  hills 
thou  mayest  dig  brass."  All  this  furnishes  a  very  clear  ex- 
planation of  the  kind  of  men  who  "  slipped  up "  to  President 
Garfield  in  various  parts  of  Utah,  and  whispered  pleas  against 
"  priestly  domination."  Garfield  and  Boreman  seemed  to  have 
thought  these  whisperings  a  genuine  "  doleful  sound  "  from  "  the 
tombs."  They  were  almost  as  credulous  as  the  editorial  writer 
of  the  New  York  Herald,  who  gaily  announced  that  "  the  Mor- 
mon women  are  ripe  for  rebellion."  It  is  curious  that,  when  both 
Mormon  men  and  Mormon  women  are  "  ripe  for  rebellion " 
against  the  "  priesthood,"  and  all  Mormons  on  the  verge  of  pre- 
cipitating an  armed  revolt  against  the  Government,  that  the 
peace  has  always  been  kept  fairly  well  in  Utah.  Is  it  evidence 
of  some  sinister  influence  of  even  graver  import? 

Quite  in  line  with  the  other  falsehoods  circulated  about  the 
Mormons,  is  the  amusing  habit  of  the  religious  and  sensational 
press  of  "  discovering  "  that  nearly  every"  notorious  criminal  of 
national  repute  is  an  adherent  of  this  faith.  Guiteau,  Garfield's 
assassin,  was  accused  of  Mormonism,  or  rather  his  alleged  mem- 
bership in  the  Mormon  church  was  adduced  as  "  explanation  "  of 
his  crime.  He,  however,  denied  this  "  soft  impeachment,"  and 
protested  that  he  preferred  to  be  called  what  he  was,  no  very 
great  loss  to  Mormonism,  and  no  very  great  gain  to  his  own 
repute.    Even  more  recently,  a  certain  preacher,  who  had  con- 


326  THE  REAL  MORMONISM 

fessed  to  the  crime  of  murdering  a  young  woman,  under  pecul- 
iarly atrocious  circumstances,  was  similarly  credited  with  being 
a  "  Mormon  elder."  His  accuser  explained  that,  **  while  it  is 
not  common,  it  is  not  unusual  to  find  the  more  educated  of  the 
Mormon  elders  preaching  in  the  pulpits  of  evangelical  churches 
which  baptize  by  immersion."  The  sole  excuse  for  this  absurd 
lie  was  that  this  person  was  reputed  to  have  been  in  the  course 
of  his  career,  more  or  less  closely  associated  with  several  young 
women.  This  fact  to  the  clerical  mind  is  proof  positive  that  he 
was  a  "  polygamist,"  hence,  inevitably,  a  Mormon. 


CHAPTER  XXIII 

THE  ALLEGED  POLITICAL  ACTIVITIES  OF  THE  MORMON  AUTHORITIES 

It  seems  fairly  probable  that  Mormonism,  either  as  a  Church 
with  an  official  head,  or  as  a  collection  of  individuals  each  having 
a  vote,  has  a  very  definite  political  significance.  It  is  proper  to 
inquire,  however,  (a)  whether  this  political  significance  is  hostile 
to  law,  order,  and  well-being,  and  (b)  whether  it  is  distinctly  un- 
American.  The  alleged  fact  that  Mormons  usually  vote  in  a 
body  —  and  it  seems  probable  that  they  have  so  voted  on  several 
occasions  —  involves  neither  of  these  alternatives.  Again,  with- 
out seriously  considering  the  futile  slander  that  the  real  object 
of  the  Mormon  authorities  is  to  precipitate  some  sort  of  cause- 
less, useless,  and  suicidal  revolt  against  the  government,  such 
participation  in  politics  as  may  justly  be  credited  to  them  is  ex- 
plainable on  two  grounds: 

1.  Mormonism  is  essentially  a  social  and  colonizing  system, 
involving  normally  a  very  real  order  of  solidarity  among  its 
people,  which  is  distinctly  beneficial  in  many  ways,  as  already 
explained.  Thus,  it  is  inevitable  that  their  sense  of  common 
interest  to  a  degree  has  political  expression. 

2.  Considering  the  constant  political  agitation  against  these 
people,  fostered  by  those  who  profess  to  decry  any  conjunction 
of  church  and  state,  it  is  scarcely  remarkable  that  the  leaders 
of  their  Church  should  occasionally  appear  as  their  leaders  in 
politics. 

No  amazing  turpitude  appears  to  be  involved  in  either  of  these 
conditions.  As  any  candid  mind  will  understand  after  reading 
all  of  the  present  volume,  the  much  dreaded  domination  of  the 
Mormon  Church  in  any  section  of  our  country,  if  attended  with 
the  results  moral  and  social,  already  found  in  the  Mormon  por- 
tions of  Utah,  would  be,  on  the  whole,  a  decided  improvement 
over  present  conditions.  On  the  other  hand,  if  our  chronic 
agitators  wish  to  expel  Mormonism  from  politics,  why  do  they 
insist  on  making  it  a  perpetual  political  issue?  Reforming 
paranoids  incapable  of  comprehending  the  wise  methods  of  deal- 
ing with  the  liquor  traffic,  so  effective  in  European  countries, 

327 


328  THE  REAL  MORMONISM 

have  forced  the  rum  shop  into  politics,  thus  unspeakably  corrupt- 
ing the  government  of  several  of  our  large  cities.  If  Mormon- 
ism  has  in  any  sense  infiltrated  an  undesirable  influence  into 
local  or  national  politics,  its  activities  have  been  efficiently  aug- 
mented in  similar  fashion  by  this  same  preposterous  busybody 
element,  which  has  trailed  a  contagion  of  corruption,  violence 
and  crime  over  the  whole  of  the  political  history  of  our  country. 
These  people  should  be  silenced  first;  then  we  can  deal  ration- 
ally and  effectively  with  all  other  classes  —  including  Mormons. 
The  political  opposition  to  Mormonism  first  attained  propor- 
tions in  Illinois,  at  the  period  when  the  city  of  Nauvoo  was  under 
their  domination.  This  episode  is  fully  set  forth  by  Governor 
Thomas  Ford,  himself  an  active  participant  in  much  of  the  his- 
tory of  the  period.     Says  Governor  Ford : 

"The  great  cause  of  popular  fury  was  that  the  Mormons  at  several 
preceding  elections,  had  cast  their  vote  as  a  unit;  thereby  making  the 
fact  apparent  that  no  one  could  aspire  to  the  honors  or  offices  of  the 
country  within  the  sphere  of  their  influence,  without  their  approbation 
and  votes.  It  appears  to  be  one  of  the  principles  by  which  they  insist 
on  being*  governed  as  a  community,  to  act  as  a  unit  in  matters  of  gov- 
ernment and  religion.  They  express  themselves  to  be  fearful  that  if 
division  should  be  encouraged  in  politics,  it  would  soon  extend  to  their 
religion,  and  rend  their  church  with  schism  and  into  sects." — History 
of  Illinois,  p.  329. 

Governor  Ford  also  relates  how  that  the  rivalry  of  the  two 
parties,  Whigs  and  Democrats,  had  effected  the  unanimous  pass- 
age in  the  Legislature  of  the  Nauvoo  charter,  so  strongly  objec- 
tionable to  many  of  the  people  of  Illinois,  the  rivalry  of  these 
contending  parties  being  then  obscured  in  the  keen  competition 
for  the  Mormon  vote. 

"  In  a  very  short  time  after  the  two  parties  had  their  candidates  in 
the  field,  Joe  Smith  published  a  proclamation  to  his  followers  in  the 
Nauvoo  papers,  declaring  Judge  Douglass  to  be  a  master  spirit,  and 
exhorting  them  to  vote  for  Mr.  Snyder  for  governor.  The  Whigs  had 
considerable  hope  of  the  Mormon  support  until  the  appearance  of  this 
proclamation.  The  Mormons  had  voted  for  the  Whig  candidate  for 
Congress  in  August,  1841.  But  this  proclamation  left  no  doubt  as  to 
what  they  woul4  do  in  the  coming  contest.  It  was  plain  that  the  Whigs 
could  expect  their  support  no  longer,  and  that  the  Whig  party  in  the 
Legislature  had  swallowed  the  odious  charter  without  prospect  of  re- 
ward. .  .  . 

"A  vast  number  of  reports  were  circulated  all  over  the  country  to 
the  prejudice  of  the  Mormons.  They  were  charged  with  numerous 
thefts  and  robberies,  and  rogueries  of  all  sorts;  and  it  was  believed 
by  vast  numbers  of  the  people,  that  they  entertained  the  treasonable 
design,  when  they  got  strong  enough,  of  overturning  the  government, 
driving  out  the  old  population,  and  taking  possession  of  the  country, 
as  The  Children  of  Israel  did  in  the  Land  of  Canaan. 

"  The  Whigs  seeing  that  they  were  out-generalled  by  the  Democrats 
in  securing  the  Mormon  vote,  became  seriously  alarmed,  and  sought 


THE  ALLEGED  POLITICAL  ACTIVITIES        329 

to  repair  their  disaster  by  raising  a  kind  of  crusade  against  that  people. 
The  Whig  newspapers  teemed  with  accounts  of  the  wonders  and 
enormities  of  Nauvoo,  and  of  the  awful  wickedness  of  a  party  which 
would  consent  to  receive  the  support  of  such  miscreants.  Governor 
Duncan,  who  was  really  a  brave,  honest  man, —  took  the  stump  on  this 
subject  in  good  earnest,  and  expected  to  be  elected  governor  almost  on 
this  question  alone."    Ibid,  pp.  268-269. 

On  a  subsequent  occasion,  the  Whig  party  believed  that  its 
candidate  would  receive  Mormon  support,  and  consequently 
adopted  a  poHcy  of  conciliation.  However,  Ford  relates  that 
Hyrum  Smith,  brother  of  the  Prophet  Joseph,  issued  a  manifesto, 
declaring  it  to  be  the  will  of  God  that  Hoge,  the  Democratic  can- 
didate, should  be  elected.  On  this  theory  he  accounts  for  the 
fact  that  Hoge  received  3,ocx)  votes  in  Nauvoo. 

"The  result  of  the  election  struck  the  Whigs  with  perfect  amaze- 
ment. Whilst  they  fancied  themselves  secure  of  getting  the  Mormon 
vote  for  Mr.  Walker,  the  Whig  newspapers  had  entirely  ceased  their 
accustomed  abuse  of  the  Mormons.  They  now  renewed  their  crusade 
against  them,  every  paper  was  loaded  with  accounts  of  the  wickedness, 
corruptions,  and  enormities  of  Nauvoo.  The  Whig  orators  groaned 
with  complaints  and  denunciations  of  the  Democrats,  who  would  con- 
sent to  receive  Mormon  support,  and  the  Democratic  officers  of  the 
State  were  violently  charged  and  assaulted  with  using  the  influence  of 
their  offices  to  govern  for  the  Mormons. 

"From  this  time  forth,  the  Whigs  generally,  and  a  part  of  the 
Democrats,  determined  upon  driving  the  Mormons  out  of  the  State; 
and  everything  connected  with  the  Mormons  became  political,  and  was 
considered  almost  entirely  with  reference  to  party." — Ibid.  p.  319. 

Governor  Ford,  it  must  be  remembered,  was  no  very  strong 
friend  of  the  Mormons.  He  plays,  in  fact,  very  much  the  part 
of  Herod  in  their  history.  His  statement  of  conditions,  how- 
ever, seems  straightforward  and  unprejudiced,  serving  very  well 
to  show  which  lines  of  political  behavior  are  properly  to  be 
classed  as  "  American  '*  and  regular,  and  which,  otherwise.  He 
gives  us  good  reasons,  also,  for  asserting  that  the  familiar  ac- 
cusation of  political  chicanery  urged  against  the  Mormons  fur- 
nishes a  close  analogy  to  the  fable  of  the  sooty  utensils  which 
"  called  one  another  black."  Nevertheless,  the  story  is  still  told 
and  re-told  —  it  must  be  true,  the  assumption  seems  to  be,  be- 
cause it  is  about  Mormons, —  and  that  newest  and  most  unde- 
sirable type  of  sensational  writer,  the  so-called  "  muck-raker," 
periodically  serves  it  up  in  the  popular  magazines.  This  irre- 
sponsible fomenter  of  disorder  and  false  opinion  tells  the  same 
old  lies  with  only  slight  variations  in  the  way  of  embellishment, 
and  displays  the  same  contemptuous  ignorance  of  the  Mormon 
organization  and  its  workings  that  has  become  a  mere  common- 
place among  us.  Thus,  as  a  good  example  at  hand,  a  certain 
Barry,  in  PearsovCs  Magazine  for  September,  1910,  discusses 
"  The  Political  Menace  of  the  Mormon  Church  "  which,  although 


330  THE  REAL  MORMONISM 

presented  as  the  very  latest  word  on  the  subject  consists  prin- 
cipally of  a  tract  issued  by  a  certain  Rev.  Josiah  Strong  about 
1898,  interspersed  with  other  matters  evidently  quite  as  ancient. 
This  dreadful  "  poHtical  menace "  consists,  however,  in  the 
alleged  concordat  between  the  Mormon  Church  and  the  leaders 
of  the  Republican  Party,  according  to  which  the  former  agrees 
to  deliver  the  votes  of  the  Mormon  states,  as  required,  in  ex- 
change for  protection.  And,  wherein  does  the  Church  seek 
protection  ?  According  to  this  unearther  of  wickedness,  the  sick- 
ening details  are  as  follows : 

"  The  Church  agreed  to  deliver  to  Roosevelt  the  electoral  votes  of 
Utah,  Wyoming  and  Idaho,  in  exchange  for  three  things;  (i)  a  cessa- 
tion of  the  movement  and  agitation  within  the  Republican  party  for 
an  amendment  to  the  Federal  Constitution  giving  Congress  the  power 
to  legislate  concerning  polygamy  and  polygamous  living;  (2)  a  defense 
of  Reed  Smoot,  apostle  and  representative  of  the  Mormon  hierarchy, 
as  a  senator  of  the  United  States,  and  a  vote  for  his  retention  of  his 
seat  in  the  Senate;  and  (3)  a  disposition  of  federal  patronage  in  Utah 
and  the  surrounding  states  in  obedience  to  the  wish  of  the  Mormon 
hierarchy  expressed  to  the  federal  administration  through  Apostle  Reed 
Smoot" 

This  alleged  agreement  involves  merely  (a)  the  quashing  of 
a  hypocritical  agitation,  aimed  not  so  much  at  polygamy  as  at 
the  Mormon  Church  itself,  (b)  the  reaffirmation  of  the  right  of 
a  sovereign  state  to  select  and  maintain  its  own  representative  in 
the  national  senate,  and  (c)  the  distribution  of  federal  patronage 
to  suit  the  desires  of  the  dominant  element  in  the  population  of 
several  states.  Mr.  Barry,  who  evidently  wishes  the  reader  to 
believe  that  he  has  investigated  the  subject  thoroughly,  admits, 
however,  the  source  of  most  of  his  "  authority."     Says  he : 

"  Concerning  political  deals  I  present  information  given  me  by  men 
high  in  the  counsels  of  the  Republican  party,  Mormons  of  high  standing 
and  leading  Gentiles  of  the  Mormon  section  —  men  in  whose  integrity 
I  believe;  yet  when  you  read  these  statements  so  fraught  with  meaning 
to  him  who  loves  a  republican  government,  bear  in  mind  that  it  is 
simply  that  which  is  called  rumor,  the  stories  of  many  men  set  to- 
gether, but  bear  in  mind  also  that  it  is  the  sort  of  rumor  which  emanates 
from  men  who  do  not  play  with  truth,  whose  reputation  would  refute 
a  charge  of  idle  gossip." 

It  is  sufficient,  however,  to  reflect  that  these  *'men  who  do 
not  play  with  truth,"  all  modestly  concealing  their  identities,  do 
not  appear  to  support  the  accuracy  of  any  of  their  alleged  state- 
ments, consequently,  we  need  not  consider  these  statements 
worthy  to  establish  any  contention  whatsoever.  Such  hearsay 
allegations  are  not  competent  evidence  in  general  affairs,  any 
more  than  in  a  court  of  law. 

Mr.  Roosevelt,  commenting  on  this  alleged  and  rumored  tri- 
partite agreement,  writes  to  a  correspondent  as  follows: 


THE  ALLEGED  POLITICAL  ACTIVITIES        331 

"  It  is  a  little  difficult  to  know  how  to  deal  with  a  story  like  this,  which 
is  not  merely  an  outrageous  lie,  but  one  so  infamous,  so  absolutely  with- 
out the  smallest  particle  of  foundation,  that  it  is  utterly  impossible  that 
the  men  making  the  charge  should  be  ignorant  of  the  fact  that  they 
are  lying.  I  never  heard  of  this  magazine  article  and  do  not  know  who 
wrote  it.  But  whoever  did  knew  perfectly  well  that  he  was  lying  — 
The  accusation  is  not  merely  false,  but  so  ludicrous  that  it  is  difficult 
to  discuss  it  seriously.  Of  course  it  is  always  possible  to  find  creatures 
vile  enough  to  make  accusations  of  this  kind.  The  important  thing  to 
remember  is  that  the  men  who  give  currency  to  the  charge,  whether 
editors  of  magazines  or  the  presidents  of  colleges,  show  themselves  in 
their  turn  unfit  for  association  with  decent  men  when  they  secure  the 
repetition  and  encouragement  of  such  scandals,  scandals  which  they 
perfectly  well  know  to  be  false. 

"  Not  only  was  no  such  bargain  made  by  me,  but  equally,  of  courses 
no  such  bargain  was  made  by  President  Taft  or  by  any  one  who  could 
speak  for  any  portion  of  the  Republican  national  organization.  No 
such  bargain  was  ever  in  any  way,  directly  or  indirectly,  suggested  to 
or  considered  by  me.  It  is  not  merely  an  atrocious  falsehood,  but  it 
could  by  no  possibility  be  anything  but  a  falsehood.  Neither  the  Church 
nor  any  one  on  behalf  of  the  Church  ever  agreed  to  deliver  me  the 
votes  of  the  States  mentioned,  nor  to  try  to  do  so ;  nor  was  any  allusion 
to  the  matter  ever  made  to  me.  Neither  Senator  Smoot  nor  any  other 
citizen  of  Utah,  was,  as  far  as  I  know,  ever  so  much  as  consulted  about 
the  patronage  in  the  States  surrounding  Utah,  nor  did  the  Mormon 
Hierarchy,  through  Senator  Smoot  or  any  one  else,  ever  express  a 
single  wish  in  connection  with  that  patronage.  The  appointments  were 
made  in  Wyoming  and  Idaho  precisely  on  the  same  system  as  they  were 
made  in  New  Jersey  and  Massachusetts,  and  no  more  attention  was 
paid  to  any  candidate's  religious  qualifications  in  one  set  of  states  than 
in  another.  Moreover,  the  same  policy  precisely  was  followed  in  Utah." 
—  Collier's,  April  15,  191 1. 

Because,  according  to  our  "muck-raking"  friend,  the  Mor- 
mons assert  the  belief  that  their  President  has  as  his  "  chief 
duty  —  to  communicate  the  wishes  of  Deity  to  the  children  of 
men,"  all  of  them  must  vote  precisely  as  directed.  In  fact,  as 
he  asserts,  "  Tammany  Hall,  an  organization  founded  on  men's 
selfish  interests,  is  less  a  unit,  and  less  uniformly  successful  in 
politics  than  the  Mormon  Church,  which  is  founded  on  man's 
religious  credulity."  Such  an  argument  as  this,  it  is  confidently 
assumed,  should  inspire  any  man  "  who  loves  a  republican  gov- 
ernment "  to  assist  in  "  smashing  "  Mormonism.  "  When  such 
politico-ecclesiastical  power  is  grasped  by  one  man,  as  in  the 
head  of  the  Mormon  Church,  he  becomes  the  most  gigantic  boss 
in  America." 

The  comparison  between  the  Mormon  Church  and  Tammany 
Hall,  although  intended  to  be  derogatory,  is  a  very  happy  one, 
since,  without  pausing  to  inquire  into  the  motives  and  characters 
of  the  leaders  of  either  of  the  two  organizations,  it  is  evident 
that  both  owe  the  allegiance  of  the  rank  and  file  of  their  followers 
to  the  same  fact,  the  systematic  provision  for  their  temporal 


332  THE  REAL  MORMONISM 

needs  and  the  ready  sympathy  of  their  officers  in  their  troubles. 
The  poor  voter  of  New  York  City  sees  in  the  ward  leader  his 
friend  and  ready  benefactor :  every  Mormon  knows  that,  through 
his  bishop,  he  may  receive  any  needed  benefits  from  the  treasury 
of  the  Church.  In  both  cases,  whatever  may  be  the  ultimate 
motive,  we  have  a  very  practical  humanity.  Consequently,  the 
fact  that  dependent  people  give  their  allegiance  and  their  votes  to 
such  organizations  is  in  no  sense  remarkable. 

What  then  is  this  dreadful  *'  political  menace  of  the  Mormon 
Church  ?  "     Here  is  the  climax : 

The  Mormons  now  have  as  large  a  proportion  of  the  population  of 
Arizona  as  they  have  of  Idaho,  about  30  per  cent.  This  is  enough  to 
constitute  a  balance  of  power.  When  you  have  30  per  cent,  of  any  vote, 
which  you  can  use  absolutely  as  a  unit,  in  any  way  you  wish,  things 
are  bound  to  move  your  way.  So,  when  Arizona  was  admitted  to  the 
Union,  another  Mormon  State  was  added  to  the  three  already  in.  "  In 
New  Mexico,  between  15  per  cent,  and  20  per  cent,  of  the  vote  will 
be  Mormon,  and  the  Church  will  doubtless  see  to  it  that  the  state  is 
colonized  sufficiently  to  swing  New  Mexico  as  they  wish,  now  that  state- 
hood is  acquired.  This  makes  five  states,  ten  senatorial  votes,  fifteen 
electoral  votes  —  almost  a  balance  of  power  in  this  Republic.  As  fast 
as  they  see  a  chance  in  other  states  the  Mormons  will  proceed  to  annex 
them.  They  have  small  percentages  of  the  vote  in  Nevada,  Colorado, 
Montana,  Oregon  and  Washington.  When  they  want  one  of  these  states 
they  will  get  it.  Because  of  the  obedience  of  its  members  the  power 
of  the  Mormon  Church  is  entirely  disproportionate  to  its  numbers. 

"An  order  is  issued  by  the  authorities  that  a  certain  district  shall 
furnish  so  many  hundred  colonizers  for  a  given  state  or  territory.  The 
families  are  drafted,  so  many  from  a  ward.  Then  each  ward  or  dis- 
trict equips  its  own  quota  with  wagons,  animals,  provisions,  implements, 
etc.     (Very  villainous  proceedings,  indeed.) 

"  Communities  are  then  selected  where  the  two  great  political  parties 
are  of  nearly  equal  strength,  and  just  enough  Mormon  families  are 
planted  there  to  hold  the  balance  of  power.  Thus  the  Mormon  leaders 
can  mass  their  voters  here  and  there  with  almost  the  same  ease,  and 
quite  the  same  certainty  of  discipline,  as  that  with  which  a  general  moves 
his  troops." 

These  statements  are  marshalled  quite  in  the  same  fashion 
as  "a  general  moves  his  troops,"  with  the  deliberate  intention 
of  arguing  to  the  "  dangerous  "  and  "  un-American "  activities 
of  the  Mormon  authorities.  But  what  do  they  amount  to?  If 
our  republican  principles  and  our  republican  government  signify 
anything,  precisely  nothing.     And  this  is  true  for  two  reasons: 

(a)  Political  activities  in  America  at  the  present  day  are, 
with  characteristic  uniformity,  controlled  by  "  organizations," 
"machines,"  *' bosses,"  and  parties.  Why  such  an  organization, 
controlled  by  "  priests  "  or  other  leaders  recognized  in  the  chosen 
religion  of  a  large  percentage  of  voters  in  a  given  section,  is 
materially  worse  than  one  maintained,  as  is  too  often  the  case, 


THE  ALLEGED  POLITICAL  ACTIVITIES        333 

for  the  protection  of  law-breaking  schemers  of  several  varieties, 
"  blackleg "  politicians,  gamblers,  liquor  sellers,  and  other  cor- 
rupt characters,  or  for  general  self-interest,  it  is  very  difficult  to 
see.  Certainly  one  organization  is  quite  as  tolerable  as  the  other, 
and  no  more  of  a  menace  to  the  country  at  large.  Furthermore, 
it  is  difficult  to  see  how  that  the  one  debases  the  free  exercise  of 
voting  privileges  in  the  rank  and  file  of  citizens  any  more  than 
the  other. 

(b)  Even  if  the  extensive  colonizing  activities  of  the  Mormon 
Church,  which  certainly  involve  great  benefits  for  the  people  con- 
cerned, are  primarily  merely  of  political  significance  and  all  such 
colonizing  is  illegal,  that  excellent  person,  already  referred  to, 
"  who  loves  a  republican  government,"  and  feels  obligated  to 
oppose  all  things  hostile  thereto,  will  find  himself  extremely  busy 
long  before  he  reaches  any  of  the  doings  of  the  Mormons.  Such 
a  person  needs  only  to  read  a  little  in  our  country's  history  to 
know  how  very  American  this  procedure  is.  What  more  frantic 
and  determined  efforts  could  the  Mormons  make  to  colonize  and 
control  any  state  whatsoever,  than  were  made  by  both  the  pro- 
slavery  and  anti-slavery  parties  in  their  efforts  to  populate  and 
gain  control  of  the  territory  of  Kansas?  Representatives  of 
both  these  elements  would  be  anxious  to  justify  this  procedure 
in  this  case. 

"The  fertile  soil  of  Kansas  had  been  offered  as  a  prize  to  be  con- 
tended for  by  Free  and  Slave  States,  and  both  had  accepted  the  contest. 
The  slave-holders  of  Western  Missouri,  which  shut  off  Kansas  from 
the  Free  States,  had  crossed  the  border,  pre-empted  lands,  and  warned 
Free  States  imigrants  not  to  pass  through  Missouri.  The  first  election 
of  a  delegate  took  place  November  29th,  1854,  and  was  carried  by- 
organized  bands  of  Missourians,  who  moved  over  the  border  on  election 
day,  voted,  and  returned  at  once  to  Missouri.  The  spring  election  of 
1855,  for  a  Territorial  Legislature,  was  carried  in  the  same  fashion. 
In  July,  1855,  the  Legislature,  all  Pro-Slavery,  met  at  Pawnee,  and 
adopted  a  State  Constitution.  To  save  trouble  it  adopted  the  laws  of 
the  State  of  Missouri  entire,  with  a  series  of  original  statutes  denouncing 
the  penalty  of  death  for  nearly  fifty  offenses  against  slavery. 

"AH  tlirough  the  spring  and  summer  of  1855  Kansas  was  the  scene  of 
almost  continuous  conflict,  the  Border  Ruffians  of  Missouri  endeavoring 
to  drive  out  the  Free  State  settlers  by  murder  and  arson  and  the  Free 
Settlers  retaliating.  The  cry  of  '  bleeding  Kansas '  went  through  the 
North,  Emigration  societies  were  formed  in  the  Free  States  to  aid, 
arm,  equip  and  protect  intending  settlers.  These,  prevented  from  passing 
through  Missouri,  took  a  more  northern  route  through  Iowa  and 
Nebraska,  and  moved  into  Kansas  like  an  invading  army.  The  Southern 
States  also  sent  parties  of  intending  settlers.  But  these  were  not  gen- 
erally slave-holders,  but  young  men  anxious  for  excitement.  They  did 
not  go  to  Kansas,  as  their  opponents  did,  to  plow,  sow,  gather  crops,  and 
build  up  homes.  Therefore,  though  their  first  rapid  and  violent  move- 
ments   were   successful,    their    subsequent   increase    of    resources   and 


334  THE  REAL  MORMONISM 

numbers  was  not  equal  to  that  of  the  Free  State  settlers.  The  territory 
soon  became  practically  divided  into  a  Pro- Slavery  and  Free  State 
district." —  A,  Johnston,  "  History  of  American  Politics." 

We  can  readily  imagine  at  this  time  the  rage  felt  and  ex- 
pressed by  adherents  of  either  party  at  hearing  of  the  advances 
made  by  their  opponents  in  Kansas.  When  it  comes  to  consid- 
ering the  accusations  against  the  Mormons,  therefore,  we  are 
expected  to  feel  a  similar  displeasure  over  the  alleged  advantages 
gained  by  a  political  clique  other  than  the  one  to  which  we  may 
happen  to  be  attached.  The  free  exercise  of  citizenship  is  to  be 
accorded  only  to  those  with  whom  we  may  agree  politically.  All 
others  should  be  carefully  controlled,  since  they  cannot  possibly 
be  "  loyal "  to  the  Government. 

Furthermore,  the  alleged  activities  of  the  Mormons,  accord- 
ing to  the  ridiculous  article  quoted  above,  are  no  more  and  no 
less  than  fresh  examples  quite  along  the  line  of  the  time- 
honored  procedure  known  as  **  gerrymandering."  Whether  this 
thing  is  right  or  wrong,  it  is  altogether  too  old  and  too  general  a 
habit  to  constitute  a  valid  condemnation  of  any  party  of  our 
voting  population  now  practicing  it.  It  is  thus  explained  by 
John  Fiske: 

"  In  the  composition  of  the  House  of  Representatives  the  state  legisla- 
ture plays  a  very  important  part.  For  the  purpose  of  the  election  a 
state  is  divided  into  districts  corresponding  to  the  number  of  representa- 
tives the  state  is  entitled  to  send  to  Congress.  These  electoral  dis- 
tricts are  marked  out  by  the  legislature,  and  the  division  is  apt  to  be 
made  by  the  preponderating  party  with  an  unfairness  that  is  at  once 
shameful  and  ridiculous.  The  aim,  of  course,  is  so  to  lay  out  the  dis- 
tricts as  to  secure  in  the  greatest  possible  number  of  them  a  majority  for 
the  party  which  conducts  the  operation.  This  is  done  sometimes  by 
throwing  the  greatest  possible  number  of  hostile  voters  into  a  district 
which  is  anyhow  certain  to  be  hostile,  sometimes  by  adding  to  a  district 
where  parties  are  equally  divided  some  place  in  which  the  majority  of 
friendly  voters  is  sufficient  to  turn  the  scale.  There  is  a  district  in  Miss- 
issippi (the  so  called  Shoe  String  District)  250  miles  long  by  30  broad, 
and  another  in  Pennsylvania  resembling  a  dumb-bell.  .  . 

"  In  Missouri  a  district  has  been  contrived  longer,  if  measured  along 
its  windings,  than  the  state  itself,  into  which  as  large  a  number  as  pos- 
sible of  the  negro  voters  have  been  thrown.  The  trick  is  called  gerry- 
mandering, from  Elbridge  Gerry,  of  Massachusetts,  who  was  vice- 
president  of  the  United  States  from  1813  to  1817.  It  seems  to  have  been 
first  devised  in  1788  by  the  enemies  of  the  Federal  Constitution  to  the 
first  Congress,  and  fortunately  it  was  unsuccessful.  It  was  introduced 
some  years  later  into  Massachusetts."—  Civil  Government  in  the  United 
States,  pp.  216-218 

It  must  be  clear,  therefore,  that,  assuming  the  Barry-Strong 
charges  as  in  any  sense  true,  the  Mormon  organization  would  be 
doing  no  more  and  no  less  than  other  organizations  and  parties 
have  been  constantly  doing  in  the  history  of  the  United  States. 
It  is  quite  probable,  however,  that  most  of  the  colonizing  activi- 


THE  ALLEGED  POLITICAL  ACTIVITIES        335 


ties  of  the  Church  which  Mr.  Barry,  Prof.  Strong,  and  others, 
see  fit  to  feature  in  the  manner  as  quoted  above,  are  carried  on 
from  motives  quite  other  than  political.  This  matter  has  been 
fully  discussed  in  Chapter  X. 

In  the  "  Address  to  the  World,"  issued  by  the  Mormon 
Church  authorities  in  1907,  the  following  declarations  occur: 

"We  declare  that  from  principle  and  policy,  we  favor: 

"The  absolute  separation  of  church  and  state; 

"No  domination  of  the  state  by  the  Church; 

"No  church  interference  with  the  functions  of  the  state; 

"No  state  interference  with  the  functions  of  the  church,  or  with  the 
free  exercise  of  religion; 

"The  absolute  freedom  of  the  individual  from  the  domination  of 
ecclesiastical  authority  in  political  affairs; 

"  The  equality  of  all  churches  before  the  law. 

"  The  reaffirmation  of  this  doctrine  and  policy,  however,  is  predicated 
upon  the  express  understanding  that  politics  in  the  states  where  our 
people  reside,  shall  be  conducted  as  in  other  parts  of  the  Union;  that 
there  shall  be  no  interference  by  the  State  with  the  Church,  nor  with 
the  free  exercise  of  religion.  Should  political  parties  make  war  upon 
the  Church,  or  menace  the  civil,  political,  or  religious  rights  of  its 
members  as  such, —  against  a  policy  of  that  kind,  by  any  political  party 
or  set  of  men  whatsoever,  we  assert  the  inherent  right  of  self-preserva- 
tion for  the  Church,  and  her  right  and  duty  to  call  upon  all  her  children, 
and  upon  all  who  love  justice,  and  desire  the  perpetuation  of  religious 
liberty  to  come  to  her  aid,  to  stand  with  her  until  the  danger  shall  have 
passed.  And  this,  openly*  submitting  the  justice  of  our  cause  to  the 
enlightened  judgment  of  our  fellow  men,  should  such  an  issue  un- 
happily arise.  We  desire  to  live  in  peace  and  confidence  with  our 
fellow  citizens  of  all  political  parties  and  of  all  religions." 

Since,  according  to  the  terms  of  this  Address,  the  Mormon 
Church  is  so  constantly  and  so  insidiously  threatened  with  ad- 
verse legislation  and  judicial  persecution,  it  considers  itself  jus- 
tified in  fortifying  itself  against  such  unjust  and  hypocritical 
procedures.  This  policy  is  perfectly  just  and  perfectly  Ameri- 
can. If  it  is  objectionable  to  any  of  our  citizens,  they  have 
themselves  alone  to  thank.  That  it  is  a  menace  to  the  country 
itself,  or  to  the  institutions  of  a  republican  government,  is  pre- 
posterous. 

The  writings  of  sectarian  missionaries  among  the  Mormons 
have  generally  complained  feelingly  that  the  "  cause  of  Christ " 
is  hampered  by  Mormon  misdoings,  and  asked  our  people  to  peti- 
tion for  laws  to  remove  these  troublesome  obstructions  to  up- 
building thriving  congregations. 

A  conspicuous  example  of  this  is  found  in  the  manifesto  of 
the  Salt  Lake  Ministerial  Association,  circulated  late  in  1881, 
promulgated  through  the  agency  of  Episcopal  Bishop  Tuttle 
and  probably  a  potent  influence  in  precipitating  the  oppression  of 
the  Mormons  in  the  next  few  years.     It  reads  as  follows: 


336  THE  REAL  MORMONISM 

"  Salt  Lake  City,  November,  1881. 

"  To  the  Ministers  of  the Church  in  the  United  States. 

"  Dear  Brethren  :  The  undersigned  ministers  of  the  various  Chris- 
tian denominations  in  Salt  Lake  City  hereby  earnestly  ask  your  attention 
to  the  following  important  statements  concerning  Mormonism: 

"  I.  Out  of  a  total  population  of  143,000  in  Utah  about  110,000  are 
adherents  of  Mormonism.  Of  the  anti-Mormon  minority  only  a  small 
percent  render  us  active  aid  in  our  endeavors  to  establish  Christian  homes 
in  the  place  of  the  foul  system  of  polygamy  which  prevails  in  Utah. 
Hence,  we  greatly  feel  the  need  of  your  sympathy,  prayers  and  efforts. 
"2.  Mormonism  is  no  longer  confined  to  Utah,  but  already  holds  the 
balance  of  power  in  Idaho,  and  has  gained  a  strong  foothold  in  Wyoming, 
Arizona,  and  Southern  Colorado. 

"3.  Although  there  has  been  a  strict  law  against  polygamy  upon  the 
United  States  statute  book  for  more  than  eighteen  years,  only  two 
persons  have  been  convicted  under  it,  and  it  is  particularly  a  dead  letter 
because  of  its  defects. 

"4.  In  this  matter  we  believe  you  will  give  us  valuable  help.  The 
anti-polygamy  law  of  Congress,  in  order  to  accomplish  its  intended 
results,  needs  to  be  amended  in  the  following  respects: 

"  (i).  So  that  the  living  together  of  the  parties  —  the  cohabitation, 
to  use  a  legal  term  —  shall  be  the  proof  of  bigamy  or  polygamy,  instead 
of  the  ceremony  of  marriage,  because  the  latter  is  performed  in  the 
Endowment  House,  in  the  presence  of  faithful  Mormons  only,  and  no 
one  of  them  will  bear  testimony  to  the  fact. 

"  (2).  So  that  polygamy  shall  be  a  continuous  crime,  instead  of 
being  allowed  as  now,  to  expire  within  three  years  by  a  statute  of  limita- 
tion. 

"  (3).  So  that  the  women  shall  be  equally  punishable  with  the  men 
for  this  offense. 

"  (4).  So  that  the  accessories  to  the  polygamous  marriage  shall  be 
equally  punishable  with  the  principals. 

"  (5).  So  that  the  jury  list  may  be  increased  to  400. 

"  (6).  So  that  adultery,  seduction,  lewd  and  lascivious  cohabitation, 
and  kindred  offenses  may  be  punishable  as  in  the  States  and  other  terri- 
tories of  the  Union. 

"  Now,  may  we  ask  that  you  will  help  us  by  seeing  that  these  facts  and 
considerations  are  brought  at  once  to  the  attention  of  the  Members  of 
Congress  from  the  various  districts  in  which  you  live,  to  the  end  that 
they  may  be  interested  in  securing  for  us,  at  the  approaching  session  of 
Congress  such  legislation  as  will  at  once  and  forever  put  a  stop  to  the 
further  spread  of  polygamy. 

"Yours  in  behalf  of  Christian  homes  and  American  institutions." 
Daniel  S.  Tuttle,  Bishop  of  Utah. 

R.  M.  KiRBY,  Pastor,  St.  Mark's  Episcopal  Church.  , 

L  ScANLAN,*  Vicar-general  of  the  Catholic  Church  in  Utah. 
S.  J.  McMillan,  Superintendent,  Presbyterian  Mission  work  in  Utah. 
G.  D.  B.  Miller,  Head  Master  of  St.  Mark's  School. 
R.  G.  McNiece,  Pastor,  First  Presbyterian  Church. 
Lewis  A.  Rudiswill,  Pastor  of  Methodist  Church. 
D.  L.  Leonard,  Superintendent,  Congregational  Mission  Work  in  Utah. 
Theophilus  B.  Hilton,  President,  Salt  Lake  Seminary. 
C  M.  Armstrong,  Pastor,  St.  Mark's  Episcopal  Church. 

*  It  is  stated  on  apparently  reliable  authority  that  Bishop  Scanlan  denied  having 
signed  this  common  petition,  leaving  the  public  to  conclude  that  his  name  had  been 
used  without  his  authority.  It  does  not  seem  probable  that  he  would  have  par- 
ticipated  with   representatives   of  other  bodies   in  this   manner. 


THE  ALLEGED  POLITICAL  ACTIVITIES        337 

This  is  a  modern  rendition  of  the  ancient  summons,  "  Come 
over  and  help  us/'  but  it  is  no  very  conspicuous  improvement  on 
the  original.  What  relation  it  bears  to  the  work  that  mission- 
aries are,  supposedly,  sent  out  to  do  is  by  no  means  clear. 
Plainly  expressed,  all  these  matters  are  none  of  a  missionary's 
business. 

Contributors  to  home  missions  may  learn  here,  however,  that 
some  of  their  representatives,  at  least,  consider  themselves  quite 
as  truly,  and  even  more  conspicuously,  advance  agents  for  the 
*'  Christian  homes  and  American  Institutions "  enterprise,  as 
plain  heralds  and  examplars  of  the  "Gospel  of  Christ  —  the 
power  of  God  unto  Salvation."  They  come  before  "  souls  in 
error  "  as  wielders  of  legislative  and  judicial  terrors  —  as  a  part 
of  government,  in  fact  —  rather  than  with  the  Pauline  message, 
"  the  times  of  this  ignorance  God  winked  at,  but  now  commands 
all  men  to  repent  and  turn  to  Him."  However,  the  world  has 
progressed  since  Paul's  day,  and,  so  it  happens,  that  missionaries 
now  petition  for  "  jury  lists  increased  to  400  " —  a  mystical  num- 
ber perhaps  —  and  laws  inculpating  women,  and  "  accessories," 
as  well  as  the  men,  believing,  likely,  that  imprisoning  their  bodies 
would  effectually  soften  their  hearts  toward  the  "  gospel  of  love." 
These  heralds  of  salvation  discover  an  amazing  anxiety  to  incul- 
pate women,  holding,  probably,  that  since  their  sects  announce 
that  females  really  have  souls,  they  should  be  held  sternly  ac- 
countable for  lapses  from  sectarian  standards  of  righteousness. 

To  this  humble  and  Christian  prayer  came,  as  answer,  the 
Edmunds  Law  —  no  very  distinct  echo  of  the  Declaration  of  In- 
dependence, and  a  rather  doubtful  successor  to  the  Emancipa- 
tion Proclamation  and  the  Fourteenth  Amendment  —  and  the 
cruel  "  raid "  of  the  middle  and  late  "  eighties "  of  the  Nine- 
teenth Century,  which  we  purpose  describing  later.  At  the  time 
of  evangelically-precipitated  raid,  in  furtherance  of  whose  aims 
several  long-established  principles  of  law  were  most  cavalierly 
set  aside,  not  only  were  women  found  equally  punishable  with 
men  —  many  of  them  in  delicate  condition  being  persecuted  and 
brow-beaten  by  prosecuting  officers  and  grand  juries,  also  com- 
mitted to  jail  for  refusing  to  answer  revolting  and  insulting 
questions  —  but  even  innocent  children,  some  scarcely  out  of 
babyhood,  were  haled  before  these  august  bodies  and  questioned 
as  to  the  "  misdoings  "  of  their  parents. 

If  this  is  what  may  be  expected  from  the  influence  of  sec- 
tarian pulpiteers  in  politics,  it  is  quite  evident  that  their  domina- 
tion is  in  no  very  conspicuous  sense  superior  to  that  of  the  much- 
hated  Mormons.  It  might  be  well  to  keep  them  from  "  gerry- 
mandering "  any  of  our  states. 


338  THE  REAL  MORMONISM 

Thus,  however,  were  reaped  into  full  gamers  the  first  fruits 
of  missionary  enterprise  and  "  self-sacrifice "  in  Utah.  And  it 
is  almost  the  only  crop  worth  mentioning. 

On  the  appearance  of  this  missionary  manifesto,  the  Deseret 
News  thus  commented  on  the  current  rant  against  the  participa- 
tion of  religious  bodies  in  politics : 

"  There  is  a  big  noise  over  the  alleged  connection  between  Mormonism 
and  Utah  politics,  while  at  the  same  time  Methodism  and  other  isms  are 
interfering  in  national  politics,  and  urging  legislation  with  all  the  church 
influence  they  can  command.  It  appears  to  be  a  heinous  offense  for 
Mormon  Elders  to  have  anything  to  do  with  secular  affairs,  but  quite 
proper  for  Episcopal  Bishops,  Presbyterian  priests  or  Methodist  preachers 
to  engage  actively  in  political  affairs,  especially  in  bringing  pressure  to 
bear  upon  Congress  antagonistic  to  the  Latter-day  Saints." 

Apart  from  interests  communal  or  sectional,  which  have  occa- 
sionally determined  the  membership  of  the  Mormon  Church  to 
vote  as  a  virtual  unit,  and  apart  from  their  respect  for  the  or- 
ganized authorities  of  their  Church,  which  they  are  entitled  to 
observe  quite  as  much  as  the  Catholics  —  they  also  have  been 
assailed  by  the  same  fanatical  element  that  has  always  fomented 
anti-Mormon  sentiment  —  there  is  positively  no  ground  whatever 
for  fear  that  the  Mormon  "  hierarchy "  may  break  down  the 
institutions  of  a  **  free  democracy,"  and  substitute  a  theocratic 
government  in  this  country.  The  charge  is  merely  contemptible, 
not  to  say  positively  ludicrous.  It  is  merely  the  old  slogan  of 
"  Know-Nothingism,"  whose  excesses  disgraced  our  country  half 
a  century  ago,  and  which  still  crops  out  in  occasional  agitation 
against  Catholicism.  The  attempts,  also,  to  justify  the  charges 
of  disloyalty  and  superstition-led  danger  to  the  state,  are  com- 
petent in  evidence  to  show  the  full  futility  of  the  charges. 

Thus  during  the  arguments  upon  the  proposed  amendments  to 
the  Edmunds  law,  in  April,  1886,  a  certain  R.  N.  Baskin  of  Salt 
Lake  City,  argued  as  follows  before  the  Committee  on  Judiciary 
of  the  U.  S.  House  of  Representatives : 

"  George  Romney  was  one  of  the  parties  who  was  convicted,  and  when 
the  court  asked  him  if  he  would  obey  the  law  in  the  future,  with  a 
view  to  lightening  the  penalty,  he  refused  to  answer.  The  Salt  Lake 
Herald  of  October  11,  1885,  and  of  which  my  friend,  the  Hon,  John 
T.  Caine,  is  editor,  came  out  with  this  statement: 

" '  There  is  sorrow  when  a  man  like  George  Romney  goes  to  the 
penitentiary;  but  when  one  does  go  his  friends  and  acquaintances  feel 
like  taking  off  their  hats  to  him,  for  they  feel  that  a  brave  and  honest 
man  is  suffering  because  of  bravery  and  honesty  which  will  not  permit 
him  to  do  otherwise." 

"  That  theocracy  will  not  permit  a  man  to  obey  the  laws  of  the  land 
in  the  future,  notwithstanding  it  is  stated  to  him  by  the  court  that  if 
he  would  make  a  promise  in  that  regard  the  penalty  would  be  lightened. 

"Hiram  B.   Clawson  was  asked  the  same  question,  and  answered: 


THE  ALLEGED  POLITICAL  ACTIVITIES        339 

" ' To  me  there  are  only  two  courses:  One  is  prison  and  Honor;  the 
other  is  liberty  and  dishonor.    Your  honor,  I  have  done.' 

"Judge  Zane,  after  hearing  what  Mr.  Clawson  said  on  the  subject, 
proceeded  in  the  course  of  the  sentence  to  say: 

"*As  a  man  I  have  nothing  to  say  whatever  against  you.  I  regret 
that  you  have  not  the  courage  and  the  manhood  to  stand  up  in  defiance 
of  a  sect  and  say  that  you  will  obey  the  laws  of  your  country,  and  that 
you  will  advise  other  men  to  abide  by  them.  This  timidity  and  cowardice 
is  not  becoming  an  American  citizen.  You  seem  to  acknowledge  that 
in  your  second  reason,  because  you  say  that  you  would  be  ostracized 
and  would  become  an  outcast  if  you  were  to  obey  the  laws  of  your 
country  —  if  you  were  to  promise  to  obey  them  —  though  many  good 
men  have  died,  not  become  ostracized,  but  died  in  their  defense.  That 
reason  constituted  no  justification.' 

"Judge  Zane  asked  him,  'Are  you  prepared  to  say  to  me  that  you 
will  obey  the  laws  in  the  future?*  His  response  was,  *I  would  become 
an  outcast  if  I  were  to  do  so.'  This  shows  what  they  do  with  their 
members  for  the  purpose  of  preventing  them  from  making  such  promises. 
Now,  in  connection  with  this,  there  is  an  address  made  by  John  Taylor 
and  George  Q.  Cannon,  to  which  I  call  your  attention  to  show  that  these 
men  have  never  for  a  moment  yielded  anything,  but  state  that  they 
intend  to  stand  by  polygamy: 

"*Well  meaning  friends  of  ours  have  said  that  our  refusal  to  re- 
nounce the  principle  of  celestial  marriage  invites  destruction.  They 
warn  us  and  implore  us  to  yield. 

"'They  appeal  to  every  human  interest  and  adjure  us  to  bow  to  a 
law  which  is  admitted  on  all  hands  to  have  been  framed  expressly  for 
the  destruction  of  the  principle  which  we  are  called  upon  to  reject.  .  .  . 
But  they  perceive  not  the  hand  of  that  Being  who  controls  all  storms, 
whose  voice  the  tempest  obeys,  at  whose  fiat  thrones  and  empires  are 
thrown  down  —  the  Almighty  God,  Lord  of  Heaven  and  earth,  who  has 
made  promises  to  us,  and  who  has  never  failed  to  fulfil  all  his  words. 
We  do  not  reveal  celestial  marriage;  we  cannot  ^yithdraw  or  renounce 
it.  God  revealed  it,  and  he  has  promised  to  maintain  it  and  to^  bless 
those  who  obey  it.  Whatever  fate,  then,  may  threaten  us,  there  is  but 
one  course  for  men  of  God  to  take;  that  is,  to  keep  inviolate  the  holy 
covenants  they  have  made  in  the  presence  of  Grod  and  of  angels.' 

"  Now,  in  the  face  of  all  the  decisions  of  the  courts,  in  the  face  of 
public  sentiment,  which  they  refer  to  here,  they  persist  in  the  maintenance 
of  an  anti- American  institution  in  our  republic  —  a  system  of  polygamy 
and  theocracy.  If  these  gentlemen  will  think  of  it  for  a  moment,  they 
will  see  that  we  would  be  recreant  to  our  trust  if  we  did  not  attempt  to 
put  a  stop  to  this  practice.  Would  it  be  right  in  the  light  of  our  history 
for  us  to  sit  idly  by  and  to  see  established  a  system  so  anti-American  as 
this  system  of  polygamy,  theocratic  polygamy." — Proposed  Additional 
Legislation  for  Utah  Territory  (1886)  pp.  5-6. 

The  sharply  defined  issue  between  what  Mr.  Baskin  chooses  to 
designate  "  theocratic  polygamy  "  and  his  own  professed  enthu- 
siasm, "  democratic  monogamy,"  may  be  very  well  estimated  from 
these  utterances  of  an  able  and  determined  exponent  of  "what 
was  known  as  the  Gentile  side  of  the  question."  Although,  as 
here  set  forth,  such  men  as  the  above-mentioned  Clawson,  and 
several  others  behaving  similarly,  are  represented  as  quite  con- 
temptuous of  law,  for  whose  maintenance  "  many  good  men  have 


340  THE  REAL  MORMONISM 

died  " —  how  heroic  the  death  of  him  who  battles  against  "  theo- 
cratic polygamy,"  or  "  polygamic  theocracy  " !  —  the  fact  of  the 
matter  is  that  these  men,  as  Mr.  Baskin  acknowledges  at  another 
place,  were  punished,  not  for  polygamy,  but  for  "  unlawful  co- 
habitation," as  the  law  stated,  *'  with  more  than  one  woman. 
Furthermore,  as  we  shall  see  at  another  place,  such  "  cohabita- 
tion "  was  most  often  found  to  be  "  constructive,"  merely,  the 
courts  convicting  and  condemning  men,  not  for  maintaining 
proved  marital  relations  with  several  women,  but  for  sup- 
porting the  women  and  children  involved  in  plural  marriages 
entered  into  in  good  faith,  even  for  maintaining  friendly  rela- 
tions with  them.  Because  these  men  refused  to  cast  off 
their  children  and  the  mothers  of  these  children,  allowing  them 
to  shift  for  themselves,  or,  more  terrible  yet,  be  thrown  upon 
the  tender  mercies  of  a  democratic,  monogamous  and  Chris- 
tian community,  they  are  haled  before  courts,  convicted  and 
sentenced,  in  order  to  allow  the  Gentile  side  of  the  question  to 
derive  a  show  of  aggravated  strength  in  the  mouth  of  such  an 
advocate  as  Baskin.  Because,  however,  following  the  lead  of 
Taylor,  Cannon,  and  others,  these  accused  chose  to  base  their 
refusal  to  adjust  their  conduct  to  an  unreasonable  and  brutal 
construction  of  the  law  —  a  construction  directly  calculated  to 
recruit  the  "  noble  army  "  of  vagabonds  and  social  outcasts,  who, 
like  the  poor,  are  "  always  with  you  " —  on  religious,  rather  than 
on  moral,  grounds,  the  natural  duty  of  a  man  to  protect  his  off- 
spring and  shield  their  mother,  we  hear  this  utterly  disingenuous 
denunciation  of  "  un-American  theocracy."  The  simple  truth  of 
the  matter  is  that  these  people,  basing  their  social  institutions 
upon  religion,  as  they  have  received  it,  interpret  moral  obliga- 
tions as  religious  duties;  and  this  is,  after  all  has  been  said, 
precisely  what  all  religious  sects  attempt  to  express,  often  with 
far  less  success  than  does  Mormonism.  No  set  of  people  ever 
showed  a  greater  ignorance  of  the  genius  of  Mormonism  than 
most  of  the  federal  judges  sent  to  Utah  to  deal  with  alleged 
violations  of  the  Edmunds  law,  unless  it  be  the  missionaries  sent 
out  to  convert  them,  if  possible. 

It  may  be  asserted,  indeed,  that  the  expressions  above  quoted 
from  Presidents  Taylor  and  Cannon  were  not  so  much  a  de- 
fiance of  civil  law  as  an  assertion  of  the  duty  of  observing  the  ob- 
ligations involved  in  what  is  believed  to  be  divine  law.  Nor,  in 
other  connections,  have  similar  assertions  been  condemned  as 
"distinctly  seditious."  It  is  well  to  remember  that  the  Protes- 
tant sects,  the  busiest  instigators  of  unjust  legislation  and  op- 
pressive constructions  against  Mormonism,  owe  their  origin  and 
existence  to  perfectly  similar  assertions  of  the  superiority  of 


THE  ALLEGED  POLITICAL  ACTIVITIES        341 

divine  commands,  as  they  believed  them  to  be,  to  the  civil  laws 
which  forbade  "  heresy  "  and  "  non-conformity."  The  civil  au- 
thorities which  punished  "  heresy  "  with  massacres,  persecutions 
and  inquisitions  may  be  righteously  condemned  as  cruel  and 
wicked,  but  the  "  reformers "  whose  influence  urged  helpless 
persons  to  expose  themselves  to  the  fury  of  persecution  have  their 
part  in  the  blame,  also.  It  is  reasonable,  however,  to  assert  that 
the  Mormon  "  theocracy,"  even  in  the  worst  light  which  its  enemies 
have  thrown  upon  it,  is  eminently  American  in  these  alleged  de- 
fiances of  so-called  "  righteous  laws."  Indeed,  in  asserting  the 
duty  and  obligation  to  follow  the  dictates  of  conscience  and  "  to 
keep  inviolate  the  holy  covenants,"  they  were  but  "  harking  back  " 
to  the  very  origin  of  American  institutions.  Our  country  was 
settled  originally  as  a  refuge  for  religious  non-conformists, 
"  heretics "  and  separatists.  Thus,  England,  demanding  con- 
formity to  her  own  national  sect,  drove  out  her  Puritans,  who 
settled  in  New  England;  allowed  the  Quakers  to  house  them- 
selves in  Pennsylvania ;  granted  a  refuge  to  her  Papists  in  Mary- 
land, and  distributed  her  poor  debtors  and  other  unappreciated 
elements  in  other  sections.  Strictly  speaking,  all  of  these  classes 
maintained  a  firm  defiance  of  the  laws  of  their  native  land,  the 
religious  —  also,  perhaps,  some  of  the  debtors  —  on  the  grounds 
of  conscience,  as  alleged.  Furthermore,  New  England,  espe- 
cially the  troublesome  colony  of  Massachusetts  Bay  —  like  Utah, 
this  was  reputed  a  **  turbulent  territory  "  in  its  day  —  had  a  theo- 
cratic government  of  the  most  aggravated  description.  Non-con- 
formity to  law,  theocracy  and  "  loyalty  to  the  dictates  of  con- 
science" are  inseparably  American  institutions,  whether  found 
among  Mormons,  and  condemned,  or  originated  among  Puri- 
tans, and  embalmed  in  verse  and  song.  We  deem  that  man  a 
heretic  who  refuses  to  recognize  the  finality  and  sufficiency  of  our 
conclusions.  But  heretics  resemble  lunatics  in  one  particular: 
they  are  quick  to  discern  in  others  the  very  disorders  that  afflict 
themselves.  Thus  it  is  that  heretics,  having  "weathered  the 
fury  of  persecution,"  and  having  established  free  institutions  — 
free  for  them  —  turn  persecutors  themselves,  and  denounce  others 
for  the  "  heroic  traits  "  of  their  own  forebears. 

Apart  from  the  general  tendency  in  religious  circles  to  view 
non-conformity  with  displeasure,  and  to  attribute  to  it  all  varieties 
of  turpitude,  even  to  misrepresent  its  motives  and  actions,  it  may 
be  asserted  with  no  serious  danger  of  contradiction,  that  there 
exists  in  America  no  implacable  antagonism  to  Mormonism. 
Such  objections  as  exist  in  the  mind  of  the  average  man  rest 
entirely  upon  the  misrepresentations  of  the  system  and  its  people, 
which  certain  classes  of  writer  and  speaker  seem  incapable  of 


342  THE  REAL  MORMONISM 

avoiding.  Thus,  the  essence  of  the  so-called  theocracy  menace  is 
the  supposed  oppressive  activity  of  the  "  priesthood,"  backed, 
supposedly  by  their  faithful,  and  ever-ready  "  Danites,"  *'  Shan- 
pips,"  or  **  destroying  angels,"  who,  as  we  are  told,  take  vengeance 
on  the  "  disobedient  " ;  thus  explaining  "  mysterious  disappear- 
ances," etc.  This  allegation,  even  in  the  mouth  of  a  judge- 
orator,  like  J.  S.  Boreman,  as  previously  quoted,  who  was  on  the 
ground,  and  must  have  had  the  opportunity  for  knowing  the  ab- 
surdity of  the  charge,  is  made  in  spite  of  the  fact  that,  according 
to  received  estimates,  at  least  90  per  cent  of  the  male  population 
of  Mormon  territory  hold  the  priesthood  in  some  degree.  Thus, 
with  a  total  of  92,103  in  the  entire  enrollment  of  quorums,  of  which 
49,944  belong  to  the  higher  or  Melchisedek  priesthood,  it  would 
be  a  real  service  to  the  public  to  locate  the  seat  of  this  alleged 
oppressive  influence.  It  is  evident,  however,  that  the  entire 
strength  of  the  allegation,  in  the  majority  of  cases,  rests  upon 
a  play  upon  the  word  "  priesthood  " ;  using  it  in  the  sense  of  the 
total  membership  of  all  priestly  quorums,  rather  than  in  the  ab- 
stract sense  of  the  "  state  of  being  a  priest,"  the  "  essential  dignity 
and  office  of  a  priest,"  which  is  the  usual  sense  in  Mormon  writ- 
ings. Thus  the  late  Justin  S.  Morrill,  when  Congressman  from 
a  Vermont  district,  delivered  a  speech  in  the  House  of  Represen- 
tatives, February  24,  1857,  which  includes  the  following  line  of 
reasoning : 

"This  hierarchy  is  clearly  repugnant  to  the  Constitution  of  the 
United  States,  which  guarantees  to  every  State  a  republican  form  of 
government.  The  republican  form  of  government  in  Utah  is  a  dead 
letter,  existing  only  pro  forma,  and  only  so  much  of  the  tattered  remains 
are  exhibited  as  will  secure  the  largesses  of  the  national  Government; 
while  the  real  bona  fide  government  is  that  of  the  Mormon  priesthood. 
The  obligations  of  the  Constitution  cannot  be  held  in  abeyance  or 
postponed,  nor  have  the  people  of  Utah  the  right  to  evade  them.  A 
republican  form  of  government  in  substance,  and  not  in  shadow,  is 
required  at  the  hands  of  the  United  States  at  all  hazards.  How  can 
this  be  complied  with  if  we  suffer  our  Territories,  while  in  a  state  of 
pupilage,  so  to  educate  the  people,  mold  their  habits,  fix  their  affections 
and  their  antipathies  —  so  to  control  the  rights  of  persons  and  property, 
as  to  make  a  republican  form  of  government  unprofitable,  sinful,  hated, 
and  impossible. 

"  The  test  which  Brigham  Young  requires  as  the  sole  dispenser  of 
the  '  blessings  of  Abraham '  is  subserviency  to  the  priesthood,  as  will 
be  seen  in  one  of  his  published  discourses  of  February  27,  1853  • 

" '  The  elders  of  Israel  frequently  call  upon  me  — "  Brother  Brigham, 
a  word  in  private,  if  you  please."  "  Bless  me,  this  is  no  secret  to  me. 
I  know  what  you  want ;  it  is  to  get  a  wife  " :  "  Yes,  Brother  Brigham,  if 
you  are  willing." 

"*  I  tell  you  here,  now,  in  the  presence  of  the  Almighty  God,  it  is  not 
the  privilege  of  any  elder  to  have  even  one  wife  before  he  has  honored 


THE  ALLEGED  POLITICAL  ACTIVITIES        343 

his  priesthood,  before  he  has  magnified  his  calling.  If  you  obtain  one 
it  is  by  mere  permission,  to  see  what  you  will  do,  how  you  will  act, 
whether  you  will  conduct  yourself  in  righteousness  in  that  holy  estate/ 
"This  power,  held  in  the  hands  of  one  man,  and  that  man  Brigham 
Young,  is  one  which  may  be  wielded  with  tremendous  effect." 

As  anyone  acquainted  with  the  history  or  organization  of  the 
Mormon  Church  must  recognize  beyond  dispute,  it  is  only  Gov-* 
ernor  Morrill's  evident  ignorance  of  the  subject  that  absolves  him 
from  the  charge  of  deliberate  misrepresentation.  While,  as  seems 
well  attested,  quite  as  large  a  proportion  of  the  male  population 
held  the  priesthood  in  1857  as  at  the  present  day,  thus,  providing 
that  they  voted  as  a  unit,  basing  the  "  unrepublican  government " 
of  Utah  upon  the  will  of  the  majority  in  correct  form,  the  quo- 
tation from  President  Young's  discourse  involves  no  such  teach- 
ing as  he  attributes  to  it.  In  spite  of  Brigham  Young's  character- 
istic vigor  of  expression,  which  frequently  lent  itself  to  the  hostile 
interpretations  of  his  enemies,  we  must  recognize  that  he  is  here 
asserting  the  duty  of  an  "  elder,"  or  a  man  holding  the  priesthood 
of  the  higher  order,  to  *'  honor  his  [own]  priesthood,"  by  suitable 
performances  —  to  "  magnify  his  calling,"  in  other  words  —  be- 
fore seeking  the  privileges  of  which  the  President  of  the  Church 
alone  holds  the  "  key."  It  is  perfectly  evident,  in  other  words, 
that  the  word  "  priesthood,"  here  indicates  the  state  or  dignity  of 
a  priest,  more  correctly  of  an  **  elder,"  and  that,  in  this  sense,  it  is 
made  synonymous  with  the  "  calling,"  which  each  man  is  urged 
to  "  magnify."  How  a  sentence  worded,  as  is  this  one  of  Presi- 
dent Young's,  could  thus  be  misinterpreted  by  so  able  a  man  as 
Morrill  is  mysterious  indeed. 

It  is'  altogether  certain  that,  whatever  faults  may  be  justly 
laid  to  the  Mormons,  or  to  Mormonism  itself,  the  primary  impetus 
for  the  traditional  objections  to  and  misrepresenation  of  both 
has  been  distinctly  in  the  sectarian  bodies  opposed  to  them.  Thus, 
from  its  earliest  days,  when  its  "  priesthood  "  had  as  yet  had  no 
time  to  perfect  its  "  repressive  influence,"  when  its  alleged  "  dis- 
loyal intentions  "  could  have  been  classed  only  as  impotent  railings 
against  authority  —  if,  indeed,  there  ever  were  any  really  dis- 
loyal intentions  on  the  part  of  this  organization  or  its  people  — 
the  Mormons  were  persecuted  and  manhandled,  as  a  regular  part, 
apparently,  of  the  routine  duties  of  the  neighborhoods  which  they 
inhabited.  Also,  the  number  of  Protestant  preachers,  principally 
of  the  Methodist,  Presbyterian  and  Baptist  denominations,  found 
participants  in  mobs  attacking  them,  show  the  real  origin  of  the 
persistent  persecution  of  these  people.  It  is  perfectly  reasonable 
to  hold  that  people  who  persist  in  horse-stealing,  and  other  forms 
of  misdemeanor  would  be  mobbed  in  the  various  places  reached 
by  them  —  and  this  explanation  of  Mormon  persecutions  is  ac- 


344  THE  REAL  MORMONISM 

cepted  by  most  people  —  but  it  is  equally  credible  that  the  sec- 
tarian animosities,  which  had  instigated  mobs  against  them  in  one 
place,  would  communicate  themselves  to  others,  with  the  same 
results  in  all  cases.  The  latter  explanation  is  rather  the  prefer- 
able one,  since  the  leading  objectors  to  Mormons  at  the  present 
day  are  the  preachers  of  rival  sects,  who  care  nothing  for  horse- 
stealing or  political  chicanery  in  other  parts  of  the  country,  but 
object  very  seriously  to  a  system  which,  should  it  prevail,  would 
actually  abolish  the  clerical  profession,  with  most  of  its  at- 
tendant disadvantages  to  society  and  to  the  vitality  of  religion; 
and  which,  moreover,  proclaims  them  apostates,  one  and  all,  de- 
void of  authority  to  preach  the  Gospel  of  Christ  or  to  administer 
in  His  name.  This  is  the  real  Mormon  "  menace,"  and  the  real 
cause  of  the  clerically  conducted  persecutions  of  these  people. 
But  for  this  no  one  would  have  discovered  their  "  disloyalty  "  and 
"  political  significances  " —  unless  indeed  political  "  Carpet-bag- 
gers " —  while,  as  for  their  polygamy,  it  would  have  passed  to  as 
venerable  a  stage  of  uninterrupted  prosperity  as  *'  machine  poli- 
tics," or  official  betrayal  of  public  trusts,  which  seem  to  argue 
some  defects  in  the  moral  sentiments  of  our  people,  quite  worthy 
to  rank  with  even  "  immorality  "of  varieties  sexual. 

The  conclusion  that  the  "  political  menace  of  the  Mormon 
Church  "  is  a  dream  and  a  delusion  has  been  repeatedly  affirmed 
by  really  conscientious  and  capable  observers  of  the  system  and 
people.  Thus,  Bishop  F.  S.  Spalding  of  the  Episcopal  Church  in 
Utah,  writing  in  review  of  a  recent  violent  and  ill-informed  anti- 
Mormon  book,  which  he  finds  full  of  errors,  states : 

"  We  have  not  commented  on  Dr.  Kinney's  references  to  the  political 
power  of  the  Mormons.  We  feel  very  strongly  that  the  subject  is 
chiefly  a  religious  and  theological  one,  and  that  Mission  Study  classes 
should  treat  it  as  such.  Mr.  Reed  Smoot  represents  the  Mormon  busi- 
ness interests  in  the  United  States  Senate  in  no  different  way  than 
Senator  Penrose  represents  the  Pennsylvania  Railroad,  and  Senator 
Aldrich  the  Morgan  interests.  Still,  the  inaccuracy  of  this  book  is  in- 
creased by  its  acceptance  of  the  absurdly  exaggerated  statistics,  given  in 
the  Cosmopolitan  Magazine,  of  the  Mormon  Church  in  other  states  than 
Utah  and  Idaho.  To  hint  that  the  Mormons  control  ColoradOj  Oregon, 
Nevada  and  Washington  is  as  absurd  as  to  claim  that  the  Prohibitionists 
control  New  York,  Massachusetts  and  Connecticut." —  Spirit  of  Missions, 
Sept.  1912,  p.  688. 

The  situation  in  the  present  case,  as  in  others  where  unreason- 
ing prejudice  reigns,  may  not  be  settled,  probably,  by  referring 
to  authoritative  documents,  even  published  statements  of  official 
assemblages.  It  is  well,  however,  to  quote  such,  and  to  insist 
that  there  is  no  evidence  whatever  that  the  Mormons  have  not 
always  endeavored  to  the  best  of  their  abilities  to  live  up  to  their 
professions  of  loyalty  to  the  United  States  Constitution  and  the 


THE  ALLEGED  POLITICAL  ACTIVITIES         345 

laws  of  the  land.  In  the  matter  of  polygamy,  which,  as  we  shall 
see  later,  was  a  religious  tenet,  their  contention  was  that  the  laws 
made  against  it  were  unconstitutional,  on  the  ground  that  the 
Constitution  distinctly  specified  that  "  Congress  shall  make  no 
law  respecting  an  establishment  of  religion."  Nor  can  there  be  a 
question  that  the  objection  admitted  of  legal  argument.  So,  in 
the  persistently  repeated  accusation  that  the  Church  authorities 
aimed  to  erect  a  "  theocracy,"  whose  rulings  should  be  superior 
to  those  of  the  civil  government,  we  are  met  at  every  point  by 
plain  statements  that  evidently  show  a  sentiment  contrary  to  any 
such  designs.  Furthermore,  this  is  true  of  Mormon  history  from 
the  days  of  Joseph  Smith's  domination  in  Nauvoo,  as  already 
shown,  to  the  present.  When,  in  February,  1883,  the  proposi- 
tion to  admit  Utah  as  a  state  was  argued  before  the  Committee 
on  Territories  of  the  United  States  Senate,  and  violently  opposed 
by  certain  persons  professing  to  represent  the  "  Gentile  element," 
Representative  John  T.  Caine  made  the  following  statements, 
whose  accuracy  may  be  verified  by  any  historical  student: 

"Even  admitting  our  good  faith,  the  faction  in  Utah  who  oppose 
Utah's  admission  as  a  State  of  the  Union  would  not  be  satisfied.  They 
do  not  care  anything  about  polygamy.  They  oppose  Utah's  admission 
with  the  Mormons  in  a  voting  majority.  They  raise  the  question  of  the 
union  of  church  and  state.  If  they  would  only  be  perfectly  frank  they 
would  tell  you  that  it  is  the  Mormons'  politics  and  not  their  religion  or 
their  practices  that  they  object  to. 

"There  is  not,  and  never  has  been,  an  intention  on  the  part  of  the 
Mormons  to  set  up  a  church  establishment  or  to  countenance  a  union  of 
church  and  state.  They  had  an  excellent  opportunity  to  unite  ecclesiasti- 
cal and  civil  affairs  when  they  settled  in  Salt  Lake  Valley  before  it  had 
become  a  part  of  the  territory  of  the  United  States ;  but  they  did  nothing 
of  the  kind.  On  the  contrary,  when  in  1849,  they  formulated  a  constitu- 
tion for  the  State  of  Deseret  and  asked  to  be  admitted  to  the  Union, 
the  preamble  to  the  constitution  adopted  March  10,  1849,  declared: 
"  *  Whereas  a  large  number  of  citizens  of  the  United  States,  before 
and  since  the  treaty  of  peace  with  the  Republic  of  Mexico,  emigrated  to 
and  settled  in  that  portion  of  the  territory  of  the  United  States  lying 
west  of  the  Rocky  Mountains  and  in  the  Great  Interior  Basin  of  Upper 
California;  and 

" '  Whereas  by  reason  of  said  treaty  all  civil  organization  originating 
from  the  Republic  of  Mexico  became  abrogated;  and 

"'Whereas  the  Congress  of  the  United  States  has  failed  to  provide 
a  form  of  Civil  government  for  the  territory  so  acquired  or  any  portion 
thereof;  and 

" '  Whereas  it  is  a  fundamental  principle  in  all  republican  governments 
that  all  political  power  is  inherent  in  the  people,  and  governments  in- 
stituted for  their  protection,  security  and  benefit  should  emanate  from  tiie 
same: 

"  *  Therefore,  your  committee  beg  leave  to  recommend  the  adoption  of 
the  following  constitution  until  the  Congress  of  the  United  States  shall 
otherwise  provide  for  the  government  of  the  territory  herein  after 
named  and  described.* 


346  THE  REAL  MORMONISM 

"Their  declaration  of  rights  contained  the  following: 

"'All  men  (Shall)  have  a  natural  and  inalienable  right  to  worship 
God  according  to  the  dictates  of  their  own  consciences ;  and  the  general 
assembly  shall  make  no  law  respecting  an  establishment  of  religion  or 
prohibiting  the  free  exercise  thereof  or  disturb  any  person  in  his  re- 
ligious worship  or  sentiments;  provided  he  does  not  disturb  the  public 
peace  or  obstruct  others  in  their  religious  worship;  and  all  persons, 
demeaning  themselves  peaceably  as  good  members  of  the  State,  shall 
be  equally  under  the  protection  of  the  laws;  and  no  subordination  or 
preference  of  any  one  sect  or  denomination  to  another  shall  ever  be 
established  by  law,  nor  shall  any  religious  test  be  ever  required  for  any 
office  of  trust  under  this  state.' 

"  Can  you  discover  any  theocratic  tendencies  in  this  declaration  ?  Have 
the  Mormons  not  been  uniformly  consistent? 

"  In  1849  they  provided  in  their  constitution  for  the  State  of  Deseret 
that  *  the  general  assembly  shall  make  no  law  respecting  an  establishment 
of  religion,'  and  forbade  the  *  Subordination  or  preference  of  any  one 
sect  or  denomination  to  another.'  In  1887  we  provided  that  *  there  shall 
be  no  union  of  church  and  state,  nor  shall  any  church  dominate  the 
state.' 

"  On  the  other  hand,  what  do  our  opponents  demand  ?  They  would 
have  you,  in  spite  of  the  prohibition  of  the  Constitution  of  the  United 
States,  make  a  religious  test  so  far  as  the  Mormons  are  concerned. 
They  have  time  and  time  again  demanded  that  membership  in  the  Mor- 
mon Church  should  per  se  disqualify  a  man  for  any  office  of  public  trust 
in  the  Territory  of  Utah. 

"  Realizing,  finally,  that  you  cannot  disregard  your  solemn  oaths,  they 
demand  that  you  shall  do  by  indirection  what  you  dare  not  do  directly. 
They  demand  that  every  vestige  of  political  power  shall  be  taken  from 
the  people  of  Utah,  and  vested  in  a  commission  to  be  appointed  by  the 
President,  by  and  with  the  advice  of  the  Senate. 

"  In  reply  to  our  invitation  to  all  citizens  of  Utah  to  participate  in  a 
movement  for  statehood,  the  little  knot  of  zealots,  who  claim  to  speak 
for  all  non-Mormons  of  Utah,  declared  — 

"  *  That  we  oppose  placing  governmental  authority  in  Mormon  hands, 
because  we  regard  the  system  as  one  totally  at  war  with  all  our  recognized 
ideas  of  republican  government,  and  incapable  of  being  so  reformed  as 
to  be  made  in  any  degree  a  depository  of  impartial  governing  power.' 

"  What  is  this  but  a  declaration  that  Mormons  ought  not  *  in  any 
degree'  be  trusted  with  political  power?  The  Mormons,  because  they 
are  Mormons,  ought  to  have  no  political  rights  if  they  are  in  the 
majority. 

"That  is  the  declaration  of  our  opponents.  It  is  a  square  religious 
test  issue  made  by  them.  You  can  satisfy  these  malignant  and  ceaseless 
agitators  in  but  one  way  —  by  giving  them  political  control ;  by  reversing 
the  fundamental  principles  of  American  institutions  and  setting  the 
minority  to  rule  over  the  majority. 

"  You  can  only  do  that  by  making  membership  in  the  Mormon  Church 
cause  for  disfranchisement.  Before  you  can  do  that  you  will  have  to 
amend  the  Constitution,  and  destroy  one  of  the  strongest  pillars  of  our 
Government  —  religious  liberty  —  the  right  of  every  man  to  worship 
God  according  to  the  dictates  of  his  own  conscience." — Admission  of 
Utah  (Pamphlet  Report  of  a  hearing  before  the  Senate  Committee  on 
Territories,  February  18,  1888). 

As  must  be  evident  to  any  candid  reader,  the  "  declaration  of 
rights,"  above  quoted,  is  similar  in  every  respect  to  the  edict  of 


THE  ALLEGED  POLITICAL  ACTIVITIES        347 

toleration,  as  it  may  be  termed,  which  was  passed  by  the  Council 
of  the  City  of  Nauvoo,  in  the  days  of  Joseph  Smith  himself. 
This  document  has  already  been  quoted  in  the  section  discussing 
the  history  of  Smith's  activities  "  as  lawgiver  and  executive." 

It  seems  a  remarkable  fact  that  this  "  malignant  and  ceaseless  " 
agitation  against  "  un-American  "  influences,  which  had  deceived 
so  able  a  man  as  Justin  Morrill  into  making  the  misstatements  just 
quoted  from  his  speech,  should  be  so  zealous  against  an  influence 
that,  in  alleged  un-American  fashion,  had  supplanted  the  govern- 
ing rights  of  the  majority  by  the  will  and  influence  of  a  hypo- 
thetical clique,  dubbed  the  "  priesthood,**  as  to  reach  its  apogee  in 
a  movement  to  deprive  the  majority  of  its  right  to  self-govern- 
ment. No  one  seems  to  have  thought  of  running  to  earth  the 
members  of  this  oft-mentioned  wicked  clique  of  "  priests,"  and 
depriving  them  of  the  rights  to  govern  themselves  or  others. 
The  whole  people  were  discriminated  against,  when  the  "  priests  ** 
seemed  to  vanish  into  the  fastnesses  of  undiscoverable  seques- 
tration. The  situation  is  precisely  that  outlined  in  a  previous 
quotation  from  Judge  Jeremiah  S.  Black,  when  he  declared  that 
"the  end  and  object  of  this  whole  system  of  hostile  measures 
against  Utah  seems  to  be  the  destruction  of  popular  rule  in  that 
territory." 

However  completely  sundry  writers,  blinded  by  their  zeal  for 
something  quite  other  than  accuracy  of  statement,  may  have  dis- 
torted and  misquoted  the  remarks  of  prominent  Mormons  into 
"  disloyal  expressions,**  it  may  be  asserted,  without  fear  of  suc- 
cessful contradiction,  that  this  "  Mormon  menace  *'  bogie  is  merely 
a  dream  of  bigotry  and  sectarian  and  sectional  jealousy.  Even 
in  the  worst  light  possible,  the  Mormon  Church  could  not  be  any 
more  of  a  menace  to  free  institutions  and  other  sacred  rights  of 
man  than  are  sundry  other  influences  at  work  in  our  midst,  which 
receive  little  or  no  attention  from  our  agitators.  The  entire  accu- 
sation is  merely  the  craven  and  cowardly  spirit  of  "  Know-Noth- 
ingism,**  which  is,  in  itself,  far  more  of  a  menace  than  Mor- 
monism,  Romanism,  or  any  other  object  of  its  rage,  has  ever 
dreamed  of  being.  The  same  statements  have  been  made  by  per- 
sons eminently  well  acquainted  with  both  Mormon  and  "  Gentile  ** 
conditions  in  the  Territory  and  State  of  Utah.  Among  such  we 
may  quote  the  late  A.  B.  Carlton,  formerly  Chairman  of  the  Utah 
Commission,  and  for  seven  years  one  of  its  members.  He  writes, 
under  title  "  History  Repeating  Itself,**  the  following  character- 
istic comment: 

"  The  advocacy  of  religious  freedom  is  no  new  thing  with  the  author 
of  this  volume.  More  than  a  third  of  a  century  ago,  he  defended  the 
Catholic  against  the  Know-Nothing  crusade.    He  was  not  a  Catholic 


34S  THE  REAL  MORMONISM 

and  is  a  native  of  America,  as  were  his  ancestors  for  many  generations ; 
but  a  sense  of  justice  and  devotion  to  the  Constitution,  together  with  a 
natural  disposition  to  take  the  side  of  the  under  dog  in  the  fight,  im- 
pelled him  to  take  an  active  part  in  opposition  to  bigotry,  intolerance 
and  persecution.  It  is  curious  to  observe  that  the  same  war  cries  and 
catch-words  were  invoked  in  the  crusade  against  the  Catholics  as  are 
now  employed  against  the  Mormons;  for  example,  *  allegiance  to  a 
foreign  power*;  'abject  obedience  to  the  commands  of  the  head  of  the 
Church'; — ''danger  of  the  government  being  overthrown';  'Americans 
must  rule,'  etc. 

"  In  those  days,  too,  similar  means  were  employed  to  inflame  the  public 
mind.  Books  purporting  to  be  written  by  apostate  priests  and  escaped 
nuns,  embellished  with  monstrous  pictures,  were  circulated  all  over  the 
country.  This  craze  prevailed  for  one  or  two  years,  and  finally  met 
with  an  ignominious  defeat  in  Virginia.  In  August,  1855,  the  spirit  of 
persecution  culminated  in  the  murder  of  a  large  number  of  Catholics 
and  foreigners,  and  the  burning  of  churches  and  dwellings  in  Louisville, 
Ky.  This  tragic  event  and  the  spirit  of  the  times  which  led  up  to  it 
were  commemorated  by  the  author  of  this  book  in  some  stanzas,  written 
in  imitation  of  the  *  Battle  of  Blenheim.' 

"  It  should  be  explained  that  *  Sam '  was  a  name  assumed  by  the 
Know- Nothing- Party,  '  Cheyennes  *  and  *  Hindus '  were  epithets  bestowed 
upon  them  by  their  opponents. 

"  THE  BATTLE  OF  LOUISVILLE 

"  It  was  on  an  August  evening ;  — 

The  Bloody  work  was  done. 

And  '  Samuel '  at  his  cottage  door 

Was  sitting  in  the  Sun; 

And  by  him  sitting  on  a  stool 

His  little  grandchild,  William  Poole. 

"  They  saw  the  dead  with  ghastly  wounds 
And  limbs  burnt  off,  borne  by;  — 
And  then  old  Sam,  he  shook  his  head. 
And  with  a  holy  sigh, 
'  They're  only  Dutch  and  Irish/  said  he, 
'  Who  fell  in  the  great  victory/ 

***Now,  tell  me  what  'twas  all  about,* 
Young  William  Poole  he  cries, 
While  looking  in  his  grand-dad's  face 
With  wonder- waiting  eyes;  — 
*Now,  tell  me  all  about  the  war. 
And  what  they  killed  the  Irish  for.* 

"  *  They  were  Know-Nothings,'  Samuel  cried, 

*  Who  put  them  all  to  rout ; 

But  what  they  shot  and  burnt  them  for, 

I  could  not  well  make  out. 

But  Major  Barker  said,'  quoth  he, 

'  That  'twas  a  glorious  victory." 

"'The  Dutch  and  Irish  lived  in  peace 
Yon  silvery  stream  hard  by; 


THE  ALLEGED  POLITICAL  ACTIVITIES        349 

The  Hindoos  burnt  their  dwellings  down, 
And  forced  them  all  to  fly; 
So  with  their  wives  and  children  fled. 
Nor  had  they  where  to  rest  their  head. 

"'With  fire  and  guns  the  city  round 

Was  wasted  far  and  wide; 

And  many  an  Irish  mother  then. 

And  new-born  baby  died ; 

And  things  like  that,  you  know  must  be. 

At  a  Know-No  thing  victory. 

"  *  They  say  it  was  a  shocking  sight, 

After  the  day  was  won ;  — 

For  twenty  bloody  corpses  there 

Lay  rotting  in  the  sun; 

But  things  like  these  you  know  must  be 

After  a  Knom-Nothing  victory.' 

*'  *  Great  glory  George  D.  Prentice  won. 
And  also  Captain  Stone';  — 
*Why,  'twas  a  very  wicked  thing,' 
Quoth  Samuel's  little  son :  — 

*  Nay,  nay,  my  little  boy,'  said  he, 
*It  was  a  famous  victory.' 

"*And  Cheyennes  said:    Americans 
America  shall  rule';  — 

*  But  what  good  came  of  it  at  last? ' 
Quoth  little  William  Poole;  — 

*  Why,  that  I  cannot  tell,'  said  he. 
*But  'twas  a  glorious  victory.'" 

— '  Wonderlands  of  the  Wild  West,  pp.  344-345. 


CHAPTER  XXIV 

HOW   JUSTICE  WAS  DONE   IN   THE   MORMON   COUNTRY 

The  previously-quoted  statements  made  by  Mormon  women 
of  character  and  intelligence  upon  the  practical  operation  of  the 
"  order  "  of  plural  marriage  are  competent  to  evidence  the  fact 
that  they  did  not  consider  themselves  "  down-trodden  " ;  were  not 
seeking  or  conniving  at  offers  of  sympathy  and  "  assistance  "  from 
the  outside,  and  show  that  they  certainly  were  not  "  degraded." 
Whether,  or  not,  the  institution  itself  were  wrong  and  unlawful, 
it  is  certain  that  by  far  the  greater  part  of  the  opposition  to  it, 
with  the  resulting  actual  persecution  and  real  injustice,  was  based 
upon  prejudice  that  was  unwilling,  if  not  incapable,  of  "  consider- 
ing the  matter  from  the  other  side."  Thus,  the  Rev.  J.  P.  New- 
man, after  an  absurd  debate  with  Orson  Pratt  on  the  question 
"  Does  the  Bible  Sanction  Polygamy  ?  ",  in  which  he  had  by  no 
means  the  best  of  the  argument,  retires  to  San  Francisco  and 
emits  a  statement  to  the  effect  that  Washington  was  a  Paradise 
of  virtue  as  compared  to  Salt  Lake  City.  Anyone  acquainted 
with  the  morals  of  Washington,  or  of  any  other  great  city,  might 
conclude  that  Salt  Lake  was  a  veritable  "  sink."  The  real  mean- 
ing of  his  reported  remark  seems  to  be  elucidated  by  the  words 
of  another  preacher,  the  Rev.  J.  C.  Talbot,  an  Episcopal  bishop, 
who  wrote  of  a  visit  to  Salt  Lake  during  the  period  of  the  Civil 
War: 

"  Outwardly  this  is  the  most  moral,  orderly  and  quiet  city  I  have  ever 

seen.    No  saloon,  gambling  den  or  evil  house  exists  in  this  community 

of  15,000  souls;  yet  the  inner  life  is  most  shocking  to  the  Christian 

sense." 

It  was  not  because  these  people  did  not  achieve  and  preserve 
social  order  and  decency;  that  they  were  not  clean  and  upright 
in  their  lives ;  or,  as  their  women  testify,  that  they  were  not  happy, 
as  well  as  true  to  the  '*  dictates  of  their  consciences  " —  and  these 
**  dictates  "  have  figured  conspicuously  in  the  history  of  our  coun- 
try—  but,  precisely,  that  they  persisted  in  maintaining  a  social 
institution  uncountenanced  by  traditional  standards.  We  have 
seen  already  that,  had  the  ideas  of  Joseph  Smith,  Ralph  Waldo 

350 


HOW  JUSTICE  WAS  DONE  351 

Emerson,  and  other  wise  and  sane  leaders  of  thought,  been  more 
generally  adopted,  the  institution  of  chattel  slavery  might  have 
been  abolished  without  the  horrors  of  the  cruel  and  expensive 
Civil  War  and  all  the  injustices  to  the  South.  We  may  under- 
stand also,  that,  had  the  question  of  dealing  with  Mormon  polyg- 
amy been  placed  wholly  in  the  hands  of  intelligent  and  truly 
American  statesmen,  a  closer  approximation  of  real  justice  might 
have  been  achieved.  In  both  cases  hysterical  and  self-righteous 
elements  were  allowed  to  influence  the  judgment  of  men  sup- 
posedly competent  to  make  laws  for  civilized  human  beings,  and 
with  results  that  are  by  no  means  gratifying. 

In  addition  to  the  various  preachers  who  issued  the  appeal  of 
November,  1 881,  to  the  American  public,  several  worthy  and  well- 
meaning  women  seized  upon  the  "  polygamy  issue "  as  an  op- 
portunity to  make  themselves  conspicuous.  One  of  these  wrote 
a  sensational  book  on  the  subject  that  was  widely  circulated  in 
the  East,  also  quoted  extensively  in  tracts  issued  by  several  re- 
ligious bodies.  It  is  needless  to  remark,  however,  that  very  few 
of  her  dozens  of  horrible  stories  of  "  oppression  and  misery  "  con- 
tain any  such  definite  specifications  of  names  and  places  as  would 
give  the  inquirer  the  ability  to  verify  her  statements.  Some  time 
after  the  appearance  of  this  book,  she  contributed  an  article  to 
an  anti-Mormon  newspaper  in  Salt  Lake,  deploring  the  prevalence 
of  the  "  social  evil "  in  that  city,  and  making  bold  to  assert  that 
an  overwhelming  number  of  the  abandoned  women  there  found 
were  of  Mormon  parentage  and  antecedents.  The  editor  of  the 
Deseret  Evening  News  very  reasonably  inquired  how  it  was  that 
she  could  have  had  such  intimate  acquaintance  with  the  life- 
histories  of  so  many  of  these  unfortunates.  No  answer  to  this 
query  was  ever  vouchsafed:  nor  is  this  remarkable. 

Several  other  ladies  of  recognized  literary  ability  served  the 
"  cause  "  by  lurid  accounts  of  the  "  sad-faced  "  women  to  be  met 
in  every  Mormon  community,  which  constituted  touching  appeals 
to  American  womanhood  to  help  break  the  chains  of  these  "  down- 
trodden "  sisters.  Nor  did  such  appeals  fail  to  excite  the  "  com- 
passion "  of  the  "  better  element."  It  should  be  a  sobering  re- 
flection to  those  "  reformers  "  among  us  who  assert  that  the  vote 
in  the  hands  of  women  will  inevitably  solve  all  the  difficulties 
of  society  that  the  "  oppression  "  of  a  large  and  representative 
body  of  women,  who  had  exercised  the  voting  privilege  for  years, 
had  to  be  made  the  subject  of  a  nation-wide  agitation;  further- 
more, that,  even  then,  these  women  could  not  be  persuaded  that 
they  really  were  oppressed.  One  lady,  a  certain  Mrs.  Newman  of 
Lincoln,  Nebraska,  evidently  not  a  suffragist  of  the  modem  type, 
was  particularly  active  in  this  "  reforming  "  campaign.    She  at- 


352  THE  REAL  MORMONISM 

tended  the  mass  meeting  of  women  in  Salt  Lake  City,  previously 
mentioned,  and  commented  on  it,  as  follows : 

"  Mrs.  Hannah  T.  King,  in  her  speech  to-day  in  the  theatre,  says :  *  I 
cannot  refrain  from  asking.  Am  I  in  America  ? ' 

"  Myself  a  New  Englander  by  birth  and  education,  reared  in  the 
atmosphere  of  loyalty,  my  own  heart  puts  forth  to-day  the  question,  *  Am 
I  in  America  ?  ' 

"I  have  traveled  all  over' this  fair  land;  I  have  sat  in  the  councils  of 
the  women  of  the  nation;  I  have  participated  in  the  discussions  of  the 
various  organizations  of  women,  both  State  and  national ;  in  benevolent, 
reformatory,  in  political  action;  and  have  to-day  heard  for  the  first 
time  treasonable  utterances  from  the  lips  of  my  own  sex;  for  the  first 
time  a  defiance  of  the  laws  which  shelter  womanhood.  And  I  desire  to 
state  in  your  columns,  as  a  representative  of  the  loyal  women  of  the 
states,  that  there  is  not  a  spot  on  this  continent,  outside  of  Utah,  where 
the  seditious  sentiments  expressed  in  the  theatre  to-day  could  have  a 
hearing  or  receive  a  single  personal  endorsement  from  any  woman  of  any 
race,  color,  or  previous  condition  of  servitude.  Any  woman  in  the 
States  who  should  so  insult  the  representatives  of  this  great  Republic 
would  invite  a  fate  more  speedy  and  none  the  less  terrible  than  that  of 
J.  Wilkes  Booth. 

"  As  a  Christian  wife  and  mother,  I,  in  behalf  of  the  Christian  homes 
of  this  Republic,  repudiate  the  oft-repeated  charge  of  the  speakers  in 
the  theatre,  that  the  lasciviousness  of  the  age  is  due  to  monogamous  or 
Christian  marriage."  (Note :  — ■  No  such  charge  was  made  by  any  speaker 
at  this  meeting,  as  must  be  insisted  in  all  fairness.  Mrs.  Newman  mis- 
understood.) 

"  *  30,000 '  demi-monde  of  New  York  mentioned  to-day  are  such  in 
defiance  of  the  laws  of  Christian  homes  over  whose  threshold  they 
cannot  pass.  .  .  . 

"The  blessed  Stars  and  Stripes  which  hung  in  mocking  irony  above 
the  heads  of  disloyal  women,  to-day,  are  crimson  with  the  blood  of 
sons  of  loyal  mothers.  The  stars  have  been  set  in  that  field  of  blue 
through  the  tears  and  toil  and  prayer  to  the  God  of  battles,  to  the 
Christian's  God  (not  Mormon  god)  to  the  God  of  CThristian  homes. 

"Treason  is  not  to  find  shelter  under  the  flag,  and  whatever  of 
sympathy  or  protection  the  women  of  Utah  expect  from  this  Govern- 
ment is  disclaimed  in  their  present  hostile  attitude.  They  cut  the  cords 
which  bind  them  to  the  world's  heart  when  they  thus  blaspheme  the 
nation's  God,  repudiate  the  nation's  sovereignty  and  the  Christian 
home. 

"Liberty  protected  by  law  is  the  only  liberty  under  the  flag." — 
Salt  Lake  Tribune,  March  9,  1886. 

It  is  entirely  unnecessary  to  comment  on  such  a  document  as 
this,  even  though  the  editor  of  the  Tribune,  in  the  issue  of  the 
following  day,  characterized  it  as  a  "  stinging  card.''  The  pro- 
ceedings of  the  meeting  referred  to  have  been  printed  in  a  pam- 
phlet, which  may  be  found  and  read  in  the  department  devoted  to 
Mormon  literature  in  any  large  public  library.  The  protest  was 
against  sumptuary  legislation,  which  had  entailed  great  hardships 
upon  the  women  of  Utah  territory,  violent  arrests  in  several  in- 
stances, as  alleged,  and  badgering  examinations  in  court  by  attor- 


HOW  JUSTICE  WAS  DONE  353 

neys,  whose  zeal  and  self-importance  often  exceeded  their  humane 
sentiments.  Protests  against  such  doings  as  these,  and  against 
the  laws  basing  them,  are  among  the  rights  guaranteed  to  a 
*'  free  people,"  who,  in  the  words  of  the  text  books  of  two  genera- 
tions since,  "  choose  their  own  rulers  and  make  their  own  laws." 
To  say  that  such  protests  are  "  seditious  "  or  "  treasonable  "  is 
absurd.  One  should  read  the  Declaration  of  Independence  for  a 
fair  example  of  precisely  this  kind  of  "  treason."  The  mass  meet- 
ing in  question  appointed  a  committee  to  prepare  a  memorial  to 
Congress,  and  adopted  resolutions,  as  follows: 

Whereas,  The  rights  and  liberties  of  women  are  placed  in  jeopardy 
by  the  present  cruel  and  inhuman  proceedings  in  the  Utah  courts, 
and  in  the  contemplated  measure  in  Congress  to  deprive  the  women 
voters  in  Utah  of  the  elective  franchise;  and, 

Whereas,  Womanhood  is  outraged  by  the  compulsion  used  in  the 
courts  of  Utah  to  force  mothers  on  pain  of  imprisonment  to  disclose 
their  personal  condition  and  that  of  their  friends  in  relation  to  an- 
ticipated maternity,  and  to  give  information  as  to  the  fathers  of  their 
children;  and, 

Whereas,  These  violations  of  decency  have  now  reached  the  length 
of  compelling  legal  wives  to  testify  against  their  husbands  without 
their  consent,  in  violation  both  of  written  statutes  and  the  provisions 
of  the  common  law,  therefore,  be  it 

Resolved,  By  the  women  of  tJtah  in  mass  meeting  assembled,  that  the 
suffrage  originally  conferred  upon  us  as  a  political  privilege,  has  become 
a  vested  right  by  possession  and  usage  for  fifteen  years,  and  that  we  pro- 
test against  being  deprived  of  that  right  without  process  of  law,  and  for 
no  other  reason  than  that  we  do  not  vote  to  suit  our  political  opponents. 

Resolved,  That  as  no  wife  of  a  polygamist,  legal  or  plural,  is  per- 
mitted to  vote  under  the  laws  of  the  United  States,  to  deprive  non- 
polygamous  women  of  the  suffrage  is  high-handed  oppression  for  which 
no  valid  excuse  can  be  offered. 

Resolved,  That  the  questions  concerning  their  personal  condition,  the 
relationship  they  bear  to  men  marked  down  as  victims  to  special  law, 
and  the  patecnity  of  their  born  and  unborn  children,  which  have  been 
put  to  women  before  grand  juries  and  in  open  courts  in  Utah,  are  an 
insult  to  pure  womanhood,  an  outrage  upon  the  sensitive  feelings  of  our 
sex  and  a  disgrace  to  officers  and  judges  who  have  propounded  and  en- 
forced them. 

Resolved,  That  the  action  of  the  District  Attorney  and  the  Chief 
Justice  of  Utah,  in  compelling  a  lawful  wife  to  testify  for  the  prosecu- 
tion in  a  criminal  case  involving  the  liberty  of  her  husband  and  in  face 
of  her  own  earnest  protest,  is  a  violation  of  laws  which  those  officials 
have  sworn  to  uphold,  is  contrary  to  precedent  and  usage  for  many 
centuries,  and  is  an  invasion  of  family  rights  and  of  that  union  be- 
tween husband  and  wife  which  both  law  and  religion  have  held  sacred 
from  time  immemorial. 

Resolved,  That  we  express  our  profound  appreciation  of  the  moral 
courage  exhibited  by  Senators  Call,  Morgan,  Teller,  Brown  and  others, 
and  also  by  Mrs.  Belva  H.  Lockwood,  who,  in  the  face  of  almost  over- 
whelming prejudice,  have  defended  the  rights  of  the  people  of  Utah. 

Resolved,  That  we  extend  our  heartfelt  thanks  to  the  ladies  of  the 


354  THE  REAL  MORMONISM 

Woman  Suffrage  Association  assembled  in  Boston,  and  unite  in  praying 
that  God  may  speed  the  day  when  both  men  and  women  shall  shake 
from  their  shoulders  the  yoke  of  tyranny. 

Resolved,  That  we  call  upon  the  wives  and  mothers  of  the  United 
States  to  come  to  our  help  in  resisting  these  encroachments  upon  our 
liberties  and  these  outrages  upon  our  peaceful  homes  and  family  rela- 
tions, and  that  a  committee  be  appointed  at  this  meeting  to  memorialize 
the  President  and  Congress  of  the  United  States  in  relation  to  our 
wrongs,  and  to  take  all  necessary  measures  to  present  our  views  and 
feelings  to  the  country. 

As  may  be  recognized  by  any  one  having  the  remotest  knowledge 
of  the  law,  there  was  abundant  excuse  for  protesting  against  the 
ruling  by  which  a  wife  was  compelled  to  testify  against  her  hus- 
band in  such  proceedings  as  were  then  being  instituted  in  the 
courts  of  Utah.  The  principle  had  long  been  accepted  that  a 
wife's  testimony  under  such  conditions  is  incompetent.  That 
many  women,  some  in  delicate  condition,  were  harshly  treated  by 
prosecuting  attorneys  cannot  be  denied.  Yet  the  move  to  protest 
against  these  legal  innovations  and  violations  of  personal  rights  is 
openly  characterized  by  prejudiced  writers  and  newspapers  as  an 
act  of  "treason." 

The  memorial  to  Congress,  signed  by  a  committee  of  twelve 
women,  related  the  following  causes  of  complaint : 

"On  the  22d  of  March,  1882,  an  act  of  Congress  was  passed  which 
is  now  commonly  known  as  the  Edmunds  law.  It  was  generally  under- 
stood to  have  been  framed  for  the  purpose  of  settling  what  is  called 
the  Utah  question,  by  condoning  plural  marriages  up  to  that  date  and 
preventing  their  occurrence  in  the  future,  and  also  to  protect  the 
home,  maintain  the  integrity  of  the  family  and  shield  innocent  women 
and  children  from  the  troubles  that  might  arise  from  its  enforcement. 
But  instead  of  being  administered  and  executed  in  this  spirit,  it  has 
been  made  the  means  of  inflicting  upon  the  women  of  Utah  immeas- 
urable sorrow  and  unprecedented  indignities,  of  disrupting  families,  of 
destroying  homes,  and  of  outraging  the  tenderest  and  finest  feelings  of 
human  nature. 

"  The  law  has  been  so  construed  by  the  courts  as  to  bring  its  penalties 
to  bear  upon  the  innocent.  Men  who  had  honestly  arranged  with  their 
families  so  as  to  keep  within  the  limits  of  the  law  have  been  punished 
with  the  greatest  possible  severity,  and  their  wives  and  children  have 
been  forced  before  courts  and  grand  juries,  and  compelled  to  disclose 
the  most  secret  and  private  relations  which  in  all  civilized  countries  are 
held  sacred  to  the  parties.  The  meaning  of  the  law  has  been  changed 
so  many  times  that  no  one  can  say  definitely  what  is  its  signification. 
Those  who  have  lived  by  the  law,  as  interpreted  in  one  case,  find,  as 
soon  as  they  are  entrapped,  that  a  new  rendering  is  constructed  to  make 
it  applicable  to  their  own.  Under  the  latest  ruling,  a  man  who  has 
contracted  plural  marriages,  no  matter  at  how  remote  a  date,  must 
not  only  repudiate  his  family  and  cease  all  connection  with  them, 
but  if  he  is  known  to  associate  with  them  in  the  most  distant  man- 
ner, support  them  and  show  any  regard  whatever  for  their  welfare,  the 
offense  of  unlawful  cohabitation  is  considered  to  have  been  fully  es- 
tablished, and  he  is  liable  to  exorbitant  fines  and  imprisonment  for  an 


HOW  JUSTICE  WAS  DONE  355 

indefinite  period,  one  district  judge  holding  that  a  separate  indictment 
may  be  found  for  each  day  of  such  association  and  recognition.  In  the 
case  of  Solomon  Edwards,  recently  accused  of  this  offense,  it  was 
proven  by  the  evidence  for  the  prosecution,  that  the  defendant  had  lived 
with  one  wife  only  since  the  passage  of  the  Edmunds  act,  but  after 
having  separated  from  his  former  plural  wife,  he  called  with  his  legal 
wife  at  the  former's  residence  to  obtain  a  child,  an  agreement  having 
been  made  that  each  party  should  have  one  of  the  two  children,  and 
the  Court  ruled  that  this  was  unlawful  cohabitation  in  the  meaning 
of  the  law,  and  defendant  was  convicted. 

"  In  the  case  of  Lorenzo  Snow,  now  on  appeal  to  the  Supreme  Court 
of  the  United  States,  the  evidence  for  the  prosecution  showed  that  the 
defendant  had  lived  with  only  one  wife  since  the  passage  of  the  Ed- 
munds law,  that  he  had  not  even  visited  other  portions  of  his  family 
except  to  call  for  a  few  moments  to  speak  to  one  of  his  sons,  but  be- 
cause he  supported  his  wives  and  children  and  did  not  utterly  and  en- 
tirely cast  them  off,  under  instructions  of  Judge  Orlando  W.  Powers, 
he  was  convicted  three  times  for  the  alleged  offense  and  sentenced  in 
each  case  to  the  full  penalties  of  the  law,  aggregating  $900  fine,  besides 
costs,  and  eighteen  months'  imprisonment,  the  judge  stating  in  his  in- 
structions to  the  jury :  '  It  is  not  necessary  that  the  evidence  should 
show  that  the  defendant  and  these  women,  or  either  of  them,  occupied 
the  same  bed,  slept  in  the  same  room  or  dwelt  under  the  same  roof/ 
'The  offense  of  cohabitation  is  complete  when  a  man,  to  all  outward 
appearance,  is  living  or  associating  with  two  or  more  women  as  his 
wives.' 

"Thus  women  who  are  dependent  upon  the  men  whom  they  regard 
as  their  husbands,  with  whom  they  have  lived,  as  they  have  regarded  it, 
in  honorable  wedlock,  must  not  only  be  separated  from  their  society  and 
protection,  but  must  be  treated  as  outcasts,  and  be  driven  forth  with 
their  children  to  shame  and  distress,  for  the  bare  'association'  of 
friendship  is  counted  a  crime  and  punished  with  all  the  severity  in- 
flicted upon  those  who  have  not  in  any  way  severed  their  plural  fam- 
ily relations. 

"  In  order  to  fasten  the  semblance  of  guilt  upon  men  accused  of  this 
offense,  women  are  arrested  and  forcibly  taken  before  sixteen  men  and 
plied  with  questions  that  no  decent  women  can  hear  without  a  blush. 
Little  children  are  examined  upon  the  secret  relations  of  their  parents, 
and  wives  in  regard  to  their  own  condition  and  the  doings  of  their 
husbands.  If  they  decline  to  answer,  they  are  imprisoned  in  the 
penitentiary  as  though  they  were  criminals." — Mormon  Women's  Pro- 
test, pp.  82-84. 

With  all  due  allowance  for  the  high  and  bitter  feelings  that 
doubtless  inspired  this  document,  it  must  be  insisted  that  its 
allegations  are  perfectly  correct,  as  evidenced  by  the  authoritative 
reports  on  the  cases  then  in  course  of  prosecution.  In  accordance 
with  the  petition  of  November,  1881,  professedly  originated  and 
signed  by  Episcopal  Bishop  Tuttle  and  other  Protestant  mission- 
aries, but  evidently  concocted  by  political  enemies  of  the  Mormon 
system  —  they  made  these  preachers  mere  tools  of  their  spite  — 
polygamy  was  not  only  construed  as  a  "  continuous  crime,"  to 
be  evidenced  by  the  simple  act  of  introducing  a  woman  as  one's 
wife,  and  to  be  evaded  by  no  means  other  than  complete  repudia- 


356  THE  REAL  MORMONISM 

tion  of  both  wives  and  children,  but,  quite  in  accord  with  the 
"  sense  of  justice  "  of  these  clerical  busybodies,  each  such  act  of 
introducing,  calling  on,  or  otherwise  acknowledging  natural  re- 
sponsibilities —  even  those  incurred  against  the  letter  of  man-made 
civil  law  —  was  construed  as  a  separate  offense  to  be  punished, 
if  the  court  should  so  determine,  by  the  extreme  penalties  pre- 
scribed by  law.  We  then  hear  that  protests  against  these  astound- 
ing miscarriages  of  justice  are  "  disloyal  "  and  "  treasonable."  A 
brief  review  of  some  of  the  most  notable  cases  in  point  will  fully 
establish  the  justice  of  the  protests  made,  and  display  the  utter 
contempt  for  human  rights  possible  under  the  influence  of  even 
American  fanaticism.  It  is  surprising  also  to  find  how  strenu- 
ously the  enemies  of  Mormonism  —  not  merely  the  enemies  of 
polygamy  —  labored  to  compel  men  to  desert  women  and  children, 
who,  in  any  construction  of  morals,  had  a  just  right  to  expect 
support  and  assistance  at  their  hands.  Such  procedures  go  far 
to  argue  that  several  of  the  grossest  infamies  of  social  life  are 
accredited  institutions  of  civilization;  also,  that  they  are  so  re- 
garded by  professed  teachers  of  "  righteousness." 

This,  in  the  case  of  the  United  States  vs.  Angus  M.  Cannon 
(reported  in  4  Utah,  pp.  122-152),  the  greatest  fight  made  by  de- 
fendant's counsel  was  in  the  effort  to  obtain  a  construction  of  the 
Edmunds  Law  of  1882,  so  as  to  define  the  term  "  unlawful  co- 
habitation." The  defense  contended  with  some  show  of  legal 
authority  that  sexual  relationship  was  essential  to  the  commission 
of  this  offense,  and  declared  itself  prepared  to  prove  that  this 
condition  had  not  been  fulfilled  by  the  defendant  during  the 
period  named  in  the  indictment.  The  Supreme  Court  of  Utah 
affirmed,  however,  as  follows: 

"The  offense  of  cohabiting  with  more  than  one  woman  is  committed 
by  a  man  who  so  associates  with  two  women  as  to  hold  them  out  to  the 
world  as  his  wives,  and  it  is  not  essential  to  the  commission  of  such 
offense  that  he  should  have  sexual  intercourse  with  either  of  them." 

An  appeal  to  the  Supreme  Court  of  the  United  States  a  majority 
decision  was  rendered,  affirming  as  follows: 

"A  strong  appeal  was  made  in  argument  to  this  court,  not  to  up- 
hold the  rulings  of  the  trial  court,  because  that  would  require  a  polyga- 
mous husband  not  only  to  cease  living  with  his  plural  wives,  but  also 
to  abandon  the  women  themselves ;  and  this  court  was  asked  to  indi- 
cate what  the  conduct  of  the  husband  toward  them  must  be  in  order 
to  conform  to  the  requirements  of  the  law.  It  is  sufficient  to  say  that 
while  what  was  done  by  the  defendant  in  this  case,  after  the  passage  of 
the  Act  of  Congress,  was  not  lawful,  no  court  can  say  in  advance  what 
particular  state  of  things  will  be  lawful  further  than  this :  that  he 
must  not  cohabit  with  more  than  one  woman,  in  the  sense  of  the  word 
*  cohabit'  as  hereinbefore  defined.  While  Congress  has  legitimated  the 
issue  of  polygamous  marriages,  born  before  January  i,  1883,  and  thus 


HOW  JUSTICE  WAS  DONE  357 

given  to  such  issue  claims  upon  their  father  which  the  law  will  recog- 
nize and  enforce,  it  has  made  no  enactment  in  respect  to  any  right  or 
status  of  a  bigamous  or  polygamous  wife.  It  leaves  the  conduct  of 
the  man  toward  her  to  be  regulated  by  considerations  which,  outside  of 
section  3,  are  not  covered  by  the  statute  and  which  must  be  dealt  with 
judicially,  when  properly  presented." — 116  U.  S.  Reports,  p.  80. 

However,  in  this  case,  there  is  a  dissenting  opinion,  signed  by 
Justices  Miller  and  Field,  who  declare  expressly  that  legal  pre- 
cedents contain  "  no  instance  in  which  the  word  *  cohabitation  * 
had  been  used  to  describe  a  criminal  offense  where  it  did  not 
imply  sexual  intercourse." 

The  three  cases  of  the  United  States  vs.  Lorenzo  Snow  contain 
further  decisions  upon  the  crime  of  "  constructive  cohabitation," 
which  is  made  to  consist  in  the  mere  act  of  introducing  a  polyg- 
amous wife  as  a  wife,  even  without  any  further  evidences  of  actual 
marital  relations  with  her.  Because  of  the  fact  that  the  defend- 
ant had  a  "legal  wife"  (first  wife),  although  he  had  not  lived 
with  her  for  many  years,  his  cohabitation  with  a  plural  wife  was 
held  to  constitute  the  offense  of  "  unlawful  cohabitation  with  more 
than  one  woman,"  since  the  cohabitation  with  the  "  legal  wife  " 
(the  term  regularly  used  in  these  cases)  was  assumed  conclusively 
to  exist.  Accordingly,  by  the  principle  of  "  segregation,"  then 
first  introduced  into  criminal  procedure,  three  separate  instances 
of  the  offense  alleged  were  erected  into  three  separate  crimes,  call- 
ing for  three  separate  indictments,  tried  in  three  separate  cases 
(reported  in  4  Utah,  pp.  280-291,  295-312,  313-326),  and  each 
one  requited  by  sentence  to  the  extreme  penalty  of  the  law,  six 
months*  imprisonment  and  $300  fine.  Such  procedure,  as  is  evi- 
dent, would  involve  in  many  cases  that  men  would  be  imprisoned 
for  life  and  fined  to  the  full  extent  of  their  resources  —  even 
beyond  —  for  several  repetitions  of  the  heinous  offense  of  intro- 
ducing as  his  wife  a  woman,  whom  the  law  defines  as  no  wife,  to 
persons  who  perfectly  understand  his  relations  with  her,  also  the 
legal  limits  set  upon  them.  Whether  or  not,  by  an  evident  strain- 
ing of  law  and  contempt  of  precedent,  as  defined  by  Justices  Miller 
and  Field  in  the  Cannon  case,  such  acts  constitute  any  intelligible 
evidence  of  "  criminal  conversation  "  or  "  unlawful  cohabitation," 
it  is  quite  certain  that  they  were  not  the  order  of  offenses  which 
the  laws  of  Congress  sought  to  terminate.  These  laws  condemned 
specific  acts  and  relations ;  not  opinions  or  statements.  It  is  per- 
fectly established  that  the  law  cannot  justly  take  cognizance  of  a 
man's  feelings  and  convictions,  so  long  as  he  does  not  carry  them, 
into  a  forbidden  line  of  action,  or  attempt  to  so  carry  them. 
While,  also,  by  the  principles  of  Common  Law,  the  introduction 
of  a  woman  as  one's  wife  has  been  held  to  constitute  a  valid  form 
of  marriage,  involving  enforceable  rights  and  prerogatives,  it  is 


358  THE  REAL  MORMONISM 

true,  nevertheless,  that  such  introduction  of  a  woman,  knowing 
her  legal  status  in  the  premises,  to  persons  also  aware  of  that 
status,  involves  no  enforceable  rights  whatsoever;  since  it  is  a 
mere  form,  whose  legal  significance  is  perfectly  known  to  all 
parties.  That  a  man,  in  such  a  transaction,  is  of  the  opinion  that 
the  woman  is,  morally  or  otherwise,  entitled  to  be  considered  as 
his  wife,  or  that  the  woman  or  other  parties  share  such  convic- 
tion, cannot  be  held  to  alter  the  legal  status  of  the  transaction. 
Properly  speaking,  its  only  valid  legal  significance  would  be  as 
subsidiary  evidence  in  an  attempt  to  establish  a  suspicion  or  pre- 
sumption of  relations  between  the  two,  which  the  law  forbids. 
When  considered  as  the  principal  evidence  in  the  attempt  to  es- 
tablish "  cohabitation  "  in  any  recognized  sense,  it  cannot  be  denied 
that  the  mere  alleged  act  of  introducing  a  woman  under  the 
conditions  mentioned  is  entirely  inconclusive  and  incompetent  to 
establish  any  allegation  regarding  their  further  relations  "be- 
yond reasonable  doubt." 

This  very  issue  is  raised  in  the  appeal  of  the  Lorenzo  Snow 
cases  to  the  Supreme  Court  of  the  tjnited  States.  In  the  brief 
filed  in  the  October  term  of  1885,  it  is  claimed  by  the  attorneys  of 
the  "  plaintiff  in  error  "  that  the  Utah  court  had  erred  "  in  re- 
fusing instructions  asked,"  as  follows: 

"Fourth  Request.  'The  defendant,  though  living  with  one  wife, 
could  lawfully  visit  another  and  her  children  at  reasonable  times  and 
on  lawful  purposes,  and  the  purposes  of  inquiring  concerning  the 
health  and  welfare  of  such  other  wife  and  his  children  by  her,  of  pro- 
viding for  their  support,  and  the  education,  employment,  and  business 
of  the  children  would  be  lawful.  He  is  not  required  to  break  off 
friendly  relations  with  any  of  his  wives  and  may  attend  friendly 
or  social  or  religious  meetings  at  their  houses/ 

"  This  request  met  every  aspect  of  the  evidence  in  the  case  and  the 
defendant's  claihi  of  the  purposes  of  his  visits.  If  he  can  visit  a  plural 
wife  at  all,  we  submit  that  it  should  have  been  given. 

"  No  equivalent  instruction  was  given,  but  the  jury  was  instructed 
as  follows,  and  the  plaintiff  in  error  excepted: 

"  *  Of  course  the  defendant  might  visit  his  children  by  the  various 
women,  he  may  make  direction  regarding  their  welfare,  he  may  meet 
the  women  on  terms  of  social  equality,  but  if  he  associates  with  them 
as  a  husband  with  his  wife  he  is  guilty.  The  Edmunds  law  says  there 
must  be  an  end  to  the  relationship  previously  existing  between  polyga- 
mists;  it  says  that  relationship  must  cease.' 

"  The  Fourth  Request  asked  the  Court  to  say  that  the  plaintiff  in 
error  might  visit  his  wives.  There  is  no  answer  to  this  request  in  the 
charge.  The  jury  were  told  that  he  might  visit  the  children  but  there 
was  no  charge  of  cohabiting  with  them.  They  were  also  told  that  he 
may  *  meet  the  women  on  terms  of  social  equality.'  This  implies  noth- 
ing more  than  that  both  may  be  guests  at  a  friend's  house  or  may  meet 
on  the  street  or  in  any  public  place,  and  the  term  '  meet '  includes  and 
would  be  understood  to  mean  a  casual  meeting,  and  not  an  intentional 
jone,  while  the  term  visit  would  mean  an  intentional  going  to  see  the 


HOW  JUSTICE  WAS  DONE  359 

very  person  visited;  and  it  was  to  this  view  that  the  request  was  di- 
rected. What  language  could  be  more  misleading  and  delusive  than 
the  expression :  '  If  he  associates  with  them  as  a  husband  with  his 
wife  he  is  guilty '  ?  " 

Elsewhere  in  this  same  brief,  the  attorneys  for  the  plaintiff  in 
error,  George  Ticknor  Curtis  and  Franklin  S.  Richards,  claim 
error  in  the  Utah  Court's  decisions,  as  follows : 

"The  court  charged  as  follows  and  the  plaintiff  in  error  excepted: 

"*If  the  conduct  of  the  defendant  has  been  such  as  to  lead  to  the 
belief  that  the  parties  were  living  as  husband  and  wife  live,  then  the 
defendant  is  guilty.' 

"The  issue  Was  whether  the  plaintiff  in  error  had  in  fact  cohabited 
with  more  than  one  woman,  and  this  fact  was  to  be  found  beyond  a  rea- 
sonable doubt.  The  defendant  asked  the  court  to  say  to  the  jury  that 
the  parties  must  have  lived  together.  The  court  says  if  the  jury  find 
that  some  one  may  have  been  led  to  that  belief  it  is  enough,  but  it  does 
not  say  who  is  to  be  led  to  that  belief.  If  it  be  interpreted  to  mean 
that  the  jury  must  be  led  to  the  belief,  it  is  still  erroneous  and  would 
mean  *  if  you  find  you  are  led  to  this  belief  by  the  evidence  the  de- 
fendant is  guilty.' " 

Whatever  may  be  one's  prejudice  against  such  an  institution  as 
polygamy,  or  against  the  people  who  have  practiced  it,  it  must 
seem  ever  a  very  nearly  inexplicable  fact  that,  in  spite  of  constant 
and  persistent  effort  on  the  part  of  able  attorneys,  several  of 
them,  like  Judge  Curtis,  men  of  national  reputation  and  standing, 
no  authoritative  construction  could  be  obtained  upon  the  term 
"  cohabitation  "  that  should  precisely  define  the  offense  and  put 
a  stop  to  the  miserable  perversions  of  justice  that  were  of  daily 
occurrence  in  the  Territory  of  Utah.  It  is  remarkable,  also,  that, 
in  the  case  of  people  so  widely  accused  by  venal  politicians  and 
other  interested  characters  of  contempt  of  law  and  essential 
viciousness,  the  searchers  after  infractions  of  a  brand-new  statute 
against  an  institution  that  had  been  virtually  tolerated  for  over 
thirty  years,  should  be  obliged  to  indict  men,  because  of  verbal 
acknowledgments  of  their  wives,  because  they  dined  with  more 
than  one  of  them,  or  because  they  had  committed  some  other  in- 
fraction of  a  precious  fiction  denominated  "  constructive  cohabi- 
tation." The  Mormons  accused  in  these  various  proceedings 
asked  merely  for  precise  directions  as  to  what  they  should  do  in 
regard  to  their  plural  wives,  whether  they  should  be  allowed  to 
retain  them  as  "  friends  "  and  "  acquaintances,"  or  whether  the 
law  required  that  they  cast  them  adrift,  and,  presumably,  see  to 
it  that  they  did  not  drift  back  again.  But  to  these  questions 
the  courts  would  vouchsafe  no  definitions  whatever,  and,  as  if  the 
"  crucify  him "  of  the  bigoted  and  disorderly  elements  could 
penetrate  even  to  the  shrine  of  justice,  the  people  who  professed 


36o  THE  REAL  MORMONISM 

themselves  as  desirous  of  conforming  to  the  law  were  still  left  at 
the  mercy  of  legalistic  fictions. 

These  points  are  well  enlarged  upon  in  the  argument  of  Judge 
Curtis  before  the  Supreme  Court  of  the  United  States  on  April 
28,  1886.  Enlarging  upon  the  fact  that,  in  the  cases  brought  be- 
fore that  court  on  appeal,  the  evident  sense  of  the  proceedings 
in  the  lower  courts  was  to  punish  a  man  for  what  he  might  have 
been  assumed  to  think,  or  for  what  he  was  alleged  to  have  said, 
regarding  his  relationship  with  given  women,  Curtis  said: 

"  The  first  proposition  to  which  I  have  to  ask  your  attention  is 
stated  on  the  226.  page  of  my  brief. 

"  The  construction  given  by  the  court  below  to  the  third  section  of 
the  act  of  March  22,  1882,  and  on  which  the  plaintiff  in  error  was  thrice 
convicted,  makes  it  violate  the  first  amendment  of  the  Constitution,  be- 
cause it  makes  the  statute  punish  the  profession  of  a  religious  belief, 
when,  under  that  construction,  it  is  applied  to  the  evidence  in  the  three 
cases  now  before  the  Court. 

"  In  approaching  the  subject  of  religious  liberty,  there  is  of  course 
a  great  deal  of  antecedent  history  to  be  taken  into  account.  I  do  not 
propose  to  go  over  the  whole  of  it,  because  most  of  us  here  are  legal 
and  historical  scholars.  You,  Mr.  Chief-Justice,  in  a  recent  case,  Rey- 
nolds vs.  United  States,  (98  U.  S.,)  had  occasion  to  develop  the  sub- 
ject somewhat.  It  is  necessary  for  me,  on  this  occasion,  to  supplement 
what  you  then  said  by  a  little  further  development  of  the  subject;  and, 
moreover,  it  is  necessary  for  me  to  show  what  was  the  religious  perse- 
cution on  which  history  had  set  the  seal  of  its  condemnation  before  our 
Constitution  was  made.  In  all  the  modern  ages  of  the  world  in  which 
religious  persecution  has  been  carried  on  by  governments,  or  in  the 
name  of  public  authority,  the  whole  essence  of  the  atrocious  wrong 
has  been  this  —  power  has  said  to  the  weak :  *  Renounce  your  religious 
opinions,  recant  your  religious  beliefs,  or  die,  or  go  to  prison.'  .  .  . 
This  is  what  I  am  to  show  will  be  said  by  this  Edmunds  act  to  the 
Mormons  of  Utah,  if  it  is  to  be  construed  and  applied  by  the  territor- 
ial judges.  ... 

"The  distinction  between  the  case  of  Cannon  vs.  The  United  States 
(116  U.  S.,  55)  and  the  three  cases  of  Snow  vs.  The  United  States  is 
broad  and  clear. 

"Treating  the  three  present  cases  as  one,  for  the  purposes  of  the 
argument,  because,  with  reference  to  the  constitutional  question,  all 
the  evidence  that  needs  to  be  considered  was  the  same  in  all  of  them, 
I  shall  contend  that  the  evidence  on  which  Snow  was  convicted  under 
an  erroneous  construction  of  the  statute  makes  the  conviction  and 
sentence  violate  the  free  exercise  of  religion  guaranteed  by  the  ist 
amendment  of  the  Constitution. 

"  In  Cannon's  case  unlawful  cohabitation  was  held  to  consist  in  a 
man's  living  in  the  same  house  with  two  women,  eating  at  their  respec- 
tive tables  one-third  of  the  time  or  thereabouts,  and  holding  them  out 
to  the  world,  by  his  language  or  conduct,  or  both,  as  his  wives,  without 
occupying  the  same  bed  with  either  of  them,  or  sleeping  in  the  same 
room,  .  .  .  with  either  of  them.  No  constitutional  question  arose  in  that 
case  because  there  was  no  language  proved  to  have  been  used  by  Cannon, 
in  speaking  of  either  of  the  two  women  as  his  wife,  which  required  to 
be  put  to  the  jury  to  find  whether  he  used  the  term  *  wife '  as  indicating 
a  spiritual  and  religious  relation,  or  used  it  to  signify  a  claim  of  right 


HOW  JUSTICE  WAS  DONE  361 

to  continue  a  carnal  relation  with  both  of  them  notwithstanding  the 
prohibition  of  the  statute.  But,  in  Snow's  case,  the  only  evidence  of 
his  language  consisted  in  proof  that  he  spoke  of  two  women  as  his 
'wives,'  under  circumstances  which  called  for  a  distinct  instruction  to 
the  jury  to  find  in  what  sense  and  with  what  intent  he  used  that  language. 
If  he  spoke  of  the  women  as  his  *  wives,'  meaning  that  by  the  religious 
law  of  his  church  he  was  bound  to  them  in  a  spiritual  and  religious  tie 
that  did  not  necessarily  signify  the  enjoyment  of  a  carnal  relation,  but 
was  a  mere  expression  of  his  religious  belief,  he  could  not  be  convicted 
of  unlawful  cohabitation  by  his  language,  or  by  the  use  of  his  language 
as  part  of  the  evidence  of  guilt,  without  violating  his  rights  of  con- 
science. On  the  other  hand,  if  he  spoke  of  the  women  as  his  *  wives/ 
in  a  sense  of  a  claim  of  right  to  maintain  a  carnal  relation  with  them, 
or  to  dwell  with  both  of  them,  notwithstanding  the  prohibition  of  the 
statute,  the  evidence  of  his  language  might  go  to  the  jury,  along  with 
the  other  facts  proved,  without  violating  his  religious  freedom;  and  if 
the  whole  evidence,  taken  together,  had  a  reasonable  tendency  to  show 
unlawful  cohabitation,  under  a  proper  definition  of  that  offence,  he 
could  have  been  convicted  without  a  violation  of  his  religious  freedom. 
The  imperative  necessity,  therefore,  for  a  careful  instruction  to  the 
jury  to  find  in  what  sense  and  with  what  intent  he  used  the  word  *  wife,' 
or  'wives,'  which  instruction  was  not  given,  and  was  refused,  is  per- 
fectly apparent. 

"  The  sole  proof  of  Mr.  Snow's  language  consists  in  the  fact  that 
when  under  arrest,  and  in  the  marshal's  oftice,  he  introduced  Harriet 
and  Sarah  as  his  *  wives '  to  Mr.  Peery,  an  acquaintance  of  his  and  a 
brother  Mormon,  just  previous  to  the  examination  before  the  U.  S. 
commissioner.  His  words  were :  *  Mr.  Peery,  or  Brother  Peery,  this 
is  my  wife  Harriet;  Mr.  Peery,  or  Brother  Peery,  this  is  my  wife 
Sarah.'  (Testimony  of  Franklin  N.  Snow,  record  in  case  No.  1278, 
p.  16.) 

"The  whole  evidence,  taken  together,  consisted  of  the  word  'wives,* 
as  used  by  Mr.  Snow,  and  the  proof  of  his  visits  to  the  houses  inhabited 
by  some  of  them,  besides  Minnie,  with  whom  he  dwelt  exclusively  in 
a  house  which  she  and  her  children  alone  inhabited. 

"In  the  case  first  tried,  (Record  1278,)  the  conviction  rested  on  this 
evidence,  as  applied  to  the  case  of  Sarah,  who  was  held  by  the  appellate 
court  to  be  the  lawful  wife.  Cohabitation  with  her  was  held  by  the 
Chief- Justice  of  the  court  below,  in  his  opinion,  to  be  established  by 
a  presumption  of  matrimonial  cohabitation,  and  by  inference  from  the 
facts.  As  cohabitation  in  every  sense  with  Minnie  was  admitted  by  the 
defendant,  the  general  verdict  of  'guilty  as  charged  in  the  indictment' 
fixes  the  unlawful  cohabitation  in  this  case  as  cohabitation  with  Sarah 
and  Minnie.    In  this  all  the  judges  below  concurred. 

"This  covered  the  period  from  January  i,  1885,  to  December  i,  1885 
—  eleven  months.  There  was  evidence  in  this  very  case  which  should 
have  admonished  the  trial  judge  of  the  nature  of  the  relation  of 
husband  and  wife  claimed  by  these  persons. 

"  All  this  evidence  gave  to  the  trial  judge  the  most  pointed  notice  that 
here  he  was  dealing  with  the  term  'wife'  or  'wives,'  in  a  sense  that 
might,  when  spoken  by  Mr,  Snow,  comprehend  nothing  but  a  religious 
doctrine  and  a  religious  belief. 


362  THE  REAL  MORMONISM 

"  The  next  case  tried  was  that  in  Record  1279,  the  indictment  covering 
the  whole  of  the  year  1884. 

"  Here  the  conviction  rested  on  cohabitation  with  Adeline  and  Minnie. 

"Here  Adeline  is  taken  as  the  lawful  wife,  and  Minnie  as  the  un- 
lawful wife,  in  1884,  whereas  Sarah  was  held  to  have  been  the  lawful 
wife  in  the  first  trial,  which  related  to  eleven  months  of  1885. 

"But  there  is  another  aspect  of  his  conduct.  Standing  here,  as  I 
do,  on  his  absolute  constitutional  right  to  the  free  exercise  of  his 
religion,  I  ask  you  to  see  that  his  conduct  consists  of  — 

"  I.  A  declaration,  in  which  he  used  the  word  '  wife,'  in  speaking 
of  Harriet  and  Sarah.  He  could  have  meant  nothing  but  the  spiritual 
and  religious  relation. 

"2.  Association  and  acts  of  a  kind  that  could  not  have  been  dictated 
by  anything  but  a  religious  obligation  and  duty. 

"  These  acts  were  every  one  innocent  and  meritorious. 

"They  were  not  done  in  the  assertion  of  any  right  of  cohabitation. 

"He  had  a  perfect  right  to  do  them. 

"  They  have  not  the  smallest  tendency  to  prove  cohabitation. 

"There  was  no  cohabitation  with  either  Sarah  or  Adeline. 

"  It  is  only  by  strained,  distorted,  and  artificial  construction  of  this 
word  *  cohabitation,'  that  these  acts  can  be  preached  and  condemned. 

"What  were  they? 

"Visiting  at  rare  intervals. 

"  Supporting. 

"Driving  out  in  a  carriage  with  one  or  more  of  them. 

"Attention  to  a  sick  child. 

"A  festivity  on  his  birthday  in  the  place  of  their  public  worship. 

"What  *  flaunting  in  the  face  of  the  world  of  the  ostentation  and 
opportunities  of  a  bigamous  household'  is  there  here? 

"  What  did  your  honors  mean  by  that  language  ? 

"Does  it  apply  to  these  acts? 

"What  is  a  bigamous  household? 

"Do  you  mean  that  there  is  a  household  where  the  parties  do  not 
live  in  the  same  house? 

"  Do  you  mean  that  there  is  a  household  when  they  live  one,  five,  ten 
miles  apart? 

"  Remember,  I  pray  you,  that  here,  in  one  case,  Sarah  lives  in  one 
house  and  Minnie  in  another.  That  in  another  case  Adeline  lives  in 
one  house  and  Minnie  in  another ;  and  the  proof  is  incontrovertible  that 
he  never  was  seen  in  company  with  Adeline  anywhere  during  the  time 
covered  by  the  indictment,  and  that  he  dwelt  exclusively  with  Minnie. 

"  He  had  duties  to  discharge  toward  these  women. 

"These  duties  are  natural;  they  spring  from  the  law  of  nature. 

"They  are  of  moral  obligation. 

"They  are  of  sacred  obligation. 

"  They  are  duties,  which,  when  we  consider  how  and  when  they  were 
assumed,  and  how  they  have  become  woven  into  the  texture  of  his  life, 
it  would  be  barbaric  to  punish. 

"The  law  says  what?  That  he  shall  not  *  cohabit'  with  more  than 
one  of  them. 

"Is  that  word  to  receive  an  interpretation  that  will  require  him  to 
renounce  every  duty,  to  dishonor  the  dead,  and  agonize  the  living,  and 
bring  shame  upon  himself  ? 


HOW  JUSTICE  WAS  DONE  363 

"Is  it  to  receive  an  interpretation  without  any  reference  to  the  ob- 
ligations or  restraints  resting  on  the  sovereignty  which  enacted  the 
law? 

"  Is  it  to  be  made  to  mean  a  constructive  dwelling  together,  when 
there  has  been  nothing  but  the  discharge  of  duties  of  the  highest  ob- 
ligation ? 

"This  constructive  cohabitation  makes  this  single  word  the  most 
elastic  that  was  ever  put  into  a  statute. 

"  There  is  nothing  that  it  will  not  reach.    Let  me  enumerate. 

"  I.  Cohabitation  (with  marital  relations).  This  is  of  course  within 
the  statute. 

"2.  Cohabitation  by  dwelling  under  the  same  roof  (without  marital 
relations).  That  was  Cannon's  case.  Now  we  come  to  the  dividing 
line. 

"3.  Cohabitation  by  dwelling  under  different  roofs,  but  occasionally 
seeing  each  other    (and  without  marital  relations). 

"4.  Cohabitation  by  dwelHng  in  different  towns,  but  writing  to  each 
other,  sending  supplies,  delicacies,  medicines,  etc.,  in  case  of  sickness. 

"  5.  Cohabitation  by  living  in  different  countries,  but  corresponding 
and  speaking  of  each  other  as  husband  and  wife. 

"6.  Cohabitation  by  acts  of  kindness  and  attention  during  a  series 
of  years,  atthough  not  dwelling  together;  and  then  when  the  death-bed 
scene  comes,  and  the  husband  stands  there  for  a  last  farewell,  and  when 
all  is  over  for  this  life,  he  follows  her  remains  to  the  grave,  and  writes 
on  the  gravestone,  Harriet,  wife  of  Lorenzo  Snow  —  that,  too,  is  un- 
lawful 'cohabitation'! 

"Now  I  must  ask  your  honors'  attention  to  the  language  of  Judge 
Boreman,  on  page  25.  This  is  what  that  judge  says  on  the  subject  of 
polygamy  in  a  written  judicial  opinion: 

" '  In  the  case  under  consideration  we  find  a  state  of  affairs  which, 
by  the  facts  developed  in  this  class  of  cases,  is  coming  to  be  well  known 
to  have  a  common  existence  in  this  Territory.  The  wife  of  a  man's 
youth,  and  all  the  other  women  with  whom  he  has  lived  as  husband 
more  or  less  of  the  time,  and  who  have  reared  children  to  him,  are,  as 
they  grow  old,  pushed  off  to  lead  a  more  lonely  life,  and  the  principal 
attention  of  the  man  is  given  to  the  youngest  and  most  favored  of  his 
women.  It  is  the  natural  result  of  a  system  founded  on  sensualism,  and 
is  the  same  here  as  in  every  other  country  where  polygamy  or  any  other 
system  exists  to  shield  the  lust  of  men.' 

"Oh,  rare  judicial  consistency!  These  unfortunate  Mormons  are 
first  charged  with  neglecting  their  elder  wives,  and  pushing  them  off 
to  lead  lonely  lives,  and  then  such  kindness  and  attention  as  they  do 
show  is  used  to  convict  them  of  unlawful  cohabitation,  by  the  aid  of 
a  legal  presumption  that  they  cohabit  with  the  older  ones,  notwith- 
standing they  have  pushed  them  off !  Can  judicial  folly  go  further  than 
this? 

•  ••••••••••a. 

"  Now  let  us  see.  It  is  simply  impossible  for  the  Court,  in  the  cases 
before  it,  with  the  persons  who  assumed  these  relations  under  such 
circumstances  (under  religious  sanction,  and  with  a  sense  of  religious 
duty),  not  to  give  any  consideration  to  the  public  equities.  If  I  am 
asked  what  the  bearing  of  these  facts  and  public  equities  should  be  in 
a  court,  I  answer  that  they  call  for  a  construction  of  this  one  word 
'cohabitation,'  that  will  confine  its  meaning  and  operation  so  as  not 
^p  reguire  these  m&x  to  renounce  every  possible  duty  to  these  women  and 


364  THE  REAL  MORMONISM 

force  them  to  turn  them  and  their  children  adrift  upon  the  world.  It 
is  impossible  for  this  Court  not  to  give  any  consideration  to  the  public 
equities,  in  construing  and  applying  this  statute  to  the  cases  before  it, 
of  persons  who  assumed  their  relations  to  each  other  under  at  least  a 
tacit  permission  of  the  people  and  Government  of  the  United  States. 

"I  do  not  ask  you  to  go  forward  and  give  constructions  and  make 
provision  for  future  cases.  /  ask  you  to  take  this  case,  and  upon  its 
plain  facts  to  give  a  ruling  and  decision  that  will  shut  out  these  con- 
structive *  cohabitations.' 

"  These  people  are  a  loyal  and  a  law-abiding  people.  They  have  a 
code  of  political  ethics,  accepted  as  part  of  their  religious  creed.  I 
have  studied  it.  There  is  no  better  code  of  political  morals  for  the 
ground  that  it  covers,  ever  formulated  by  a  human  pen,  that  has  fallen 
under  my  observation,  and  I  have  been  somewhat  of  a  student  of  that 
kind  of  literature.  If  your  honors  care  to  read  it,  you  will  find  it  in 
their  book  of  Doctrine  and  Covenants. 

"  I  here  leave  this  case  in  your  hands.  But  I  cannot  leave  it  without 
saying  that  the  zealots  who  push  this  criminal  law  beyond  the  barriers 
of  the  Constitution  are  not  the  first,  and  perhaps  they  will  not  be  the 
last,  to  seek  to  extend  the  kingdom  of  Christ  by  persecution,  and  to 
propagate  a  religion  of  love  by  the  gospel  of  hate. 

"Nor  can  I  leave  it  without  taking  shame  to  myself  that  I  have  for 
so  many  years  lived  in  ignorance  of  the  condition  of  things  in  that 
devoted  Territory.  I  have  spent,  on  mere  pecuniary  interests,  on  lower 
politics,  in  the  delight  of  letters  and  the  pleasures  of  life,  precious  time 
that  ought  to  have  been  given  to  the  oppressed.  If  now  my  example, 
tardy  as  it  is  and  feeble  as  it  is,  shall  do  something  to  arouse  younger 
and  more  important  men  to  a  sense  of  their  duty  on  this  great  problem, 
I  shall  have  the  consolation  that  I  have  done  something  to  atone  for 
my  share  in  whatever  blame  rests  upon  this  nation." —  Pleas  for  Religious 
Liberty  and  the  Rights  of  Conscience  (Pamphlet,  Arguments  before  the 
U.  S.  Supreme  Court,  1886),  pp.  4-5,  8-10,  16-17,  18-20,  21-22,  40-42. 

The  quotation  from  Judge  Boreman  reveals  the  kind  of  thing 
then  allowed  by  governmental  negligence  in  the  Territories.  Bore- 
man,  as  will  be  remembered,  was  the  author  of  the  prejudiced 
and  intemperate  harangue  before  an  anti-polygamy  society  in  Salt 
Lake  City,  on  the  evening  of  February  27,  1882,  which  has  been 
quoted  in  part  in  a  previous  chapter  of  the  present  volume.  It 
would  seem  almost  a  miscarriage  of  justice  that  a  man.  who  could 
speak  in  the  manner  that  he  did  on  that  occasion  should  be  allowed 
to  sit  as  judge  in  such  cases  as  those  against  Lorenzo  Snow. 
Nor  does  one  need  an  exhaustive  acquaintance  with  legal  prin- 
ciples and  precedents  to  understand  that  the  construction  placed 
on  the  term  "  cohabitation  "  in  the  cases  tried  before  him  and 
other  judges  in  Utah,  was,  as  Judge  Curtis  claimed,  both  strained 
and  unwarranted,  and  as  the  minority  opinion  of  the  Supreme 
Court  held  in  the  Cannon  case,  devoid  of  authority  m  precedent. 
The  action  of  Boreman  and  others  was,  in  fact,  but  a  repetition 
of  the  illegal  methods  of  the  notorious  Judge  McKean,  who,  in 
the  prosecution  of  a  "  moral  crusade,"  indicted  Brigham  Young 


HOW  JUSTICE  WAS  DONE  365 

for  unlawful  cohabitation,  and  then  allowed  a  woman  represented 
to  be  one  of  his  "  wives  "  to  sue  him  for  divorce,  with  heavy 
judgment  for  "  alimony,"  a  proceeding  sufficiently  illegal  and  pre- 
posterous to  lead  to  his  removal.  It  must  have  seemed  no  more 
than  reasonable,  therefore,  that  a  construction  should  be  given 
to  terms  used  in  a  statute,  in  order  that  obvious  injustice  might 
be  avoided,  and  judge-orators  restrained  in  their  enthusiasm  for 
preconceived  opinions  on  matters  in  litigation.  This,  however, 
for  some  mysterious  reason,  the  Supreme  Court  refused  to  give. 
In  its  decision  on  the  Cannon  case,  as  already  seen,  it  stated  that 
such  matters  "  must  be  dealt  with  judicially,  when  properly  pre- 
sented." In  the  cases  of  Lorenzo  Snow,  in  which,  evidently,  dis- 
tinct issues  were  "  properly  presented,"  the  court  decided  on  its 
own  motion  that  it  had  no  jurisdiction  in  the  premises,  and  dis- 
missed the  writs  of  error. 

As  a  consequence  of  this  act  of  the  Court,  Mr.  Snow  was 
denied  relief  on  his  pleas,  and  after  serving  his  first  term  of  six 
months,  and  paying  the  fine  imposed  in  the  first  case  tried,  he 
applied  to  the  Chief  Justice  of  the  Supreme  Court  of  Utah  for  a 
writ  of  habeas  corpus.  This  writ  was  refused  by  the  territorial 
court,  but  was  granted  by  Justice  Miller  of  the  Supreme  Court 
of  the  United  States,  on  the  decision  then  rendered  that  as  un- 
lawful cohabitation  is  a  "  continuous  offense,"  the  grand  jury 
could  find  only  one  indictment,  and  the  court  impose  only  one 
sentence.  (See  120  U.  S.,  pp.  274-287.)  This  latter  decision 
was  a  sad  blow  to  the  wanton  injustice  of  fanatical  judges,  and 
put  an  effectual  stop  to  one  of  the  most  high-handed  methods  of 
judicial  oppression  known  in  the  history  of  the  United  States. 
The  zealous  ingenuity  of  the  advocates  of  "  true  religion  and 
undefiled,"  however,  was  equal  to  the  situation,  and  although 
deprived  of  the  valuable  weapon  of  "  segregation  "  of  offenses 
within  what  had  been  repeatedly  called  a  "  continuous  crime," 
the  best  available  substitute  was  found  in  the  practice  of  finding 
indictments  for  two  separate  offenses  in  the  same  set  of  facts, 
and  consisting  in  the  same  essential  acts.  Thus,  on  September 
27,  1888,  a  certain  Hans  Nielson  was  indicted  for  unlawful  co- 
habitation, under  Section  3  of  the  Edmunds  Law  of  1882,  and 
on  the  same  day  by  the  same  jury,  of  adultery,  under  Section  3 
of  the  Act  of  March  3,  1887,  otherwise  known  as  the  Edmunds- 
Tucker  Act,  the  same  period  being  covered  in  both  cases.  After 
serving  a  sentence  of  three  months  for  the  first  named  offense, 
and  paying  a  fine  of  $100  and  costs,  he  was  placed  on  trial  a 
second  time  under  the  second  indictment,  and,  in  spite  of  pleas 
of  former  conviction,  and  the  claim  that  the  same  acts  were 
essential  to  both  indictments,  he  was  sentenced  to  125  days  in  the 


366  THE  REAL  MORMONISM 

penitentiary.  Cjn  appeal  to  the  Supreme  Court  of  the  United 
States  on  a  writ  of  habeas  corpus,  the  second  indictment  was 
declared  illegal,  on  the  ground  that  its  essential  charges  were 
included  in  the  first.  (See  131  U.  S.,  pp.  176-191.)  That  the 
illegality  of  this  proceeding  would  have  been  recognized  under 
any  circumstances,  other  than  those  existing  in  Utah  at  the  time, 
and  that  without  the  assistance  of  the  United  States  Supreme 
Court,  need  not  be  argued. 

In  answer,  perhaps,  to  the  repeated  efforts  of  attorneys  to 
obtain  authoritative  constructions  on  the  terms  above  noted,  the 
Edmunds-Tucker  Act  of  1887  changed  the  section  on  unlawful 
cohabitation  — "  if  any  male  person  .  .  .  hereafter  cohabits  with 
more  than  one  woman,  he  shall  be  deemed  guilty  of  a  misde- 
meanor"—  to  a  prohibition  of  adultery.  This,  however,  did 
not  stop  prosecutions  under  the  old  section,  nor  afford  the  asked- 
for  definitions.  Perversions  of  law  were  still  continued,  under 
the  representation  that,  in  no  other  manner  could  the  guilty  be 
reached  and  punished ;  since,  as  the  Mormons  "  always  stand 
together,"  there  was  no  certainty  that  false  testimony  was  not 
given  to  the  courts.  It  would  seem,  however,  that  the  majority 
of  these  people  made  an  honest  effort  to  live  within  the  law,  and 
that  those  who  were  the  most  anxious,  oftentimes,  were  the  very 
ones  who  were  punished  with  the  greatest  severity.  In  the  mean- 
time, however,  whether  obedient  or  disobedient,  the  people  were 
constantly  under  suspicion,  owing  to  the  monstrous  lies  con- 
stantly circulated  about  their  social  and  domestic  affairs,  and 
always  without  attempts  to  verify  them,  or  to  discover  the  real 
basis  of  fact,  if  any.  Nor  can  we  doubt  that  the  real  objects  in 
the  minds  of  the  originators  of  these  falsehoods  are  set  forth  in 
previously-made  quotations  from  Judge  Jeremiah  S.  Black,  and 
from  passages  from  the  Salt  Lake  Tribune  of  the  period.  As 
stated  by  a  historian  of  the  territory  and  state  of  Utah,  the  fol- 
lowing conditions  existed  at  this  juncture: 

"  The  Edmunds  Act,  of  March  22,  1882,  was  a  disappointment  to  those 
who  had  taken  upon  themselves  *a  mission  for  the  social  and  political 
regeneration  of  Utah.'  That  law  was  not  far-reaching  enough  to 
satisfy  an  element  which,  not  content  that  pains  and  penalties  should  be 
visited  upon  the  polygamous  minority  among  the  Mormons,  desired 
something  that  would  effect  the  destruction  or  emasculation  of  the 
entire  Mormon  system.  *  We  care  nothing  for  your  polygamy,'  the 
Gentiles  were  wont  to  say  m  private,  to  individual  Mormons.  *  It's  a 
good  war-cry  and  serves  our  purpose  by  enlisting  sympathy  for  our 
cause;  but  it's  a  mere  bagatelle  compared  with  other  issues  in  the  ir- 
repressible conflict  between  our  parties.  What  we  most  object  to  is 
your  unity;  your  political  and  commercial  solidarity;  the  obedience  you 
render  to  your  spiritual  leaders  in  temporal  affairs.  We  want  you  to 
throw  off  the  yoke  of  the  Priesthood,  to  do  as  we  do,  and  be  Americans 


HOW  JUSTICE  WAS  DONE  367 

in  deed  as  well  as  name.'" — Orson  F.  Whitney,  History  of  Utah,  Vol, 

III.,  pp.  547-543. 

Accordingly,  by  the  persistent  repetition  of  this  **  good  war- 
cry,"  Congress  was  constantly  at  work  on  some  remodeling  of 
the  anti-polygamy  statutes,  and  a  great  amount  of  oratory  and 
debate  was  launched  on  both  sides  of  the  controversy.  Finally, 
however,  in  spite  of  the  strenuous  stand  for  legal  principles  and 
human  rights  made  by  several  senators,  the  crowning  effort  was 
completed,  the  notorious  Edmunds-Tucker  Act  of  February  15, 
1887.  This  act  was  most  inclusive,  although  nine  out  of  its 
twenty-seven  sections  dealt  with  the  marriage  relation,  its  con- 
ditions, violations  and  limitations,  and  with  offenses  usually 
classed  as  '*  immoral."     The  following  is  a  brief  analysis : 

Sec.  I.  Making  a  legal  husband  or  wife  a  competent  witness  in 
prosecutions  for  bigamy,  etc.,  although  not  compelling  such  to  testify 
without  the  permission  of  the  other. 

Sec,  2.  Making  it  lawful  to  issue  attachment  for  any  witness  in  a 
trial  for  bigamy,  etc.,  without  issuance  of  previous  subpoena. 

Sees.  3  to  6.  Defining  penalties  for  adultery,  incest,  fornication,  etc., 
and  procedure  in  prosecution. 

Sees.  7  and  8.  Defining  the  duties  and  powers  of  U.  S.  commissioners 
and  marshals,  both  exceptional. 

Sec.    9.  Of  marriage  ceremonies,  certificates,  etc. 

Sec.  ID.  Of  the  proof  of  marriage. 

Sec.  II.  Declaring  "illegitimate  children"  incapable  of  sharing  in  the 
inheritance  of  their  father's  property. 

Sec.  12.  Limiting  the  jurisdiction  of  the  probate  courts  to  matters 
connected  with  the  estates  of  deceased  persons  and  guardianship.  (In 
the  unsettled  condition  of  the  territory,  these  courts  had  often  had  a 
wider  authority.) 

Sec.  13.  Appropriating  all  property  escheated  by  the  act  of  1882  to  the 
benefit  of  the  common  schools. 

Sec.  14.  Compelling  all  corporations  and  associations  declared  in  viola- 
tion of  law  to  produce  all  books,  records,  etc.,  at  the  command  of  the 
courts. 

Sees.  15-16.  Decreeing  the  dissolution  of  the  Perpetual  Immigration 
Fund  Company,  and  declaring  its  property  escheated  to  the  United 
States,  to  be  expended  for  the  benefit  of  the  common  schools  of  the 
territory. 

Sec.  17.  Decreeing  the  dissolution  of  the  Corporation  of  the  Church 
of  Jesus  Christ  of  Latter-day  Saints,  "  in  so  far  as  it  may  now  have,  or 
pretend  to  have,  any  legal  existence."  (This  was  the  provision  for  which 
the  entire  bill  was  enacted,  but  its  relevance  to  the  suppression  of 
polygamy,  or  any  other  offense  against  the  laws  of  the  nation,  is  not 
perfectly  apparent.) 

Sec.  18.  Defining  a  widow's  right  of  dower. 

Sec.  19.  Providing  that  probate  judges  shall  be  appointed  by  the  presi- 
dent. 

Sec.  20.  Abolishing  female  suffrage,  which  had  been  established  in 
1872,  in  the  hope  that  it  would  act  to  terminate  polygamy. 

Sec.  21.  Al)olishing  the  secret  ballot. 

Sec,  22.  Providing  to  re-district  the  territory. 


368  THE  REAL  MORMONISM 

Sec.  23.  Providing  to  continue  the  Utah  commission. 

Sec.  24.  Prescribing  a  test  oath  for  all  citizens,  qualifying  to  vote, 
declaring  that  they  will  support  the  laws  of  the  United  States,  par- 
ticularly those  forbidding  polygamy,  etc. 

Sec.  25.  Appointing  a  commissioner  of  schools,  who  should  have  power 
"to  prohibit  the  use  in  any  district  school  of  any  book  of  sectarian 
character  or  otherwise  unsuitable." 

Sec.  26.  Enacting  that  churches  may  hold  real  property. 

Sec.  27.  Providing  to  reorganize  the  militia  of  the  territory,  but 
especially  to  declare  annulled  and  of  no  effect  the  laws  establishing  the 
Nauvoo  Legion. 

This  bill  was  vigorously  attacked  in  both  houses  of  Congress, 
but  was  passed  by  a  safe  majority,  showing  eminently  well  that 
wanton  agitation  had  inflamed  the  credulous  and  bigoted  ele- 
ments among  the  people  to  such  an  extent  that  even  its  out- 
rageous provisions  were  acceptable.  It  is  well,  however,  to 
notice  the  kind  of  criticisms  made  upon  it  by  the  qualified  law- 
makers of  the  nation.  Thus,  on  February  i8th.  Senator  Vest 
spoke  in  part  as  follows : 

"  As  a  matter  of  course  this  bill  will  become  a  law,  but  I  cannot  vote 
for  it.  I  am  well  aware  what  the  public  sentiment  of  the  country  is, 
but  that  makes  no  sort  of  impression  on  me,  with  my  convictions  as  a 
legislator,  nor  will  any  amount  of  criticism  on  my  action.  I  cannot 
vote  for  this  bill  because  in  my  judgment  it  violates  the  fundamental 
principles  of  the  Constitution  of  the  United  States.  ...  It  is  naked, 
simple,  bold  confiscation  and  nothing  else.  .  .  .  The  whole  spirit  of  this 
test-oath  legislation  is  wrong;  it  is  contrary  to  the  principles  and  spirit 
of  our  republican  institutions;  and  whenever  the  time  comes  in  the 
Territories  or  States  of  this  Union  that  test-oaths  are  necessary  to 
preserve  republican  institutions,  then  republicanism  is  at  an  end." 

The  eleventh  section  of  the  bill,  that  relating  to  the  incom- 
petence of  "  illegitimate  children  " —  meaning  children  born  in 
polygamy  —  to  inherit  from  their  parents'  estates,  although  dis- 
tinctly specifying  that  its  provisions  did  not  apply  to  any  chil- 
dren bom  within  twelve  months  after  the  enactment  of  the  bill, 
evoked  the  displeasure  of  Senator  Wilkinson  Call  of  Florida,  who 
spoke  as  follows: 

"  What  Christianity,  what  civilization,  can  justify  this  harsh  and  cruel 
provision?  What  has  the  poor  child  done  that  the  Senator  from  Ver- 
mont should  deprive  it  of  subsistence,  of  the  means  of  going  through 
the  world  with  credit  to  himself  or  herself?  Why  should  it  be  per- 
secuted with  the  terrors  of  this  law,  because  the  father  and  mother 
believed  improperly;  believed,  if  you  please,  barbarously,  that  a  certain 
form  of  relation  between  the  sexes  was  legitimate  and  of  divine  permis- 
sion; believed  a  doctrine,  if  you  please,  pernicious  to  society,  that  by 
proper  means,  by  free  discussion,  by  moral  suasion  of  the  religion  of 
Christ,  should  be  eradicated  and  exterminated?  What  if  they  did,  shall 
the  poor  child  be  the  victim  ? 

"  Mr.  President,  the  Spanish  Inquisition  .  .  .  was^  not  more  cruel  .  .  . 
than  this  provision  of  the  bill,  taking  the  poor  illegitimate  children  whom 
Almighty  God  has  permitted  to  come  into  the  world,  in  fault,  if  you 


HOW  JUSTICE  WAS  DONE  369 

please,  of  their  ancestors,  but  without  fault  of  themselves,  and  branding 
them  and  depriving  them  of  all  subsistence  and  help  and  comfort. 

"  What  should  the  father  of  an  illegitimate  child  do  in  the  theory  of 
this  bill?  Abandon  his  offspring,  and  commit  a  thousand  times  fouler 
crime  by  abandoning  his  parental  feelings,  and  leaving  the  offspring 
that  he  has  begotten  to  starvation  and  misery;  this  is  the  wicked  and 
cruel  command  of  this  bill;  this  is  the  morality  it  enjoins.  Let  the 
child  born  of  innocent  purposes,  and  under  a  form  of  religious  belief, 
be  an  outcast  from  human  sympathy,  because  we  deny  the  right  of  the 
Divine  Ruler  of  the  Universe  to  estabHsh  an  order  of  nature,  which 
allows  children  to  enter  the  world  otherwise  than  as  we  think  proper, 
and,  notwithstanding  the  fault  of  their  parents,  endows  them  with  the 
faculties  which  command  success. 

"  The  Divine  Law-giver  said  *  Let  little  children  come  unto  me,'  and 
He  blessed  them,  and  His  followers  have  established  charities  for  them, 
and  even  the  '  foundlings  *  have  their  guardians  and  their  friends  in  the 
gentle  hearts  of  Christian  men  and  women.  But  the  insane  fanaticism 
of  this  bill  seeks  to  place  a  curse  and  a  stigma  on  them,  and  deprive 
them  of  their  natural  protectors,  and  of  natural  love  and  affection. 

"Sir,  the  bill  is  barbarous  and  inhuman  in  every  light.  Be  as  strong 
an'ti-polygamist  as  you  please,  you  can  not  be  a  follower  of  the  divine 
religion  of  Christ  and  maintain  a  doctrine,  a  principle,  a  provision  of 
law,  that  has  this  effect.  It  is  an  insult  to  Christ's  precepts  and  religion, 
and  a  deadly  assault  on  all  the  beautiful  charities  and  humanities  that 
have  grown  up  under  it.  As  false  to  human  nature  and  the  conditions 
of  Jife,  as  it  is  to  the  divine  economy  that  governs  the  world." 


CHAPTER  XXV 

A  SHELTER  FOR  THE  "ERRING  AN 

Unfortunately  no  comments  by  a  "  Christian  wife  and 
mother,"  such  as  heard  and  reported  on  the  mass  meeting  of 
Mormon  women  in  Salt  Lake  City,  were  ever  published  on  the 
utterances  of  United  States  senators  on  the  provisions  of  the 
several  anti-polygamy  bills  bearing  the  family  name  of  Ed- 
munds. The  public  cannot  judge,  therefore,  whether  the  ex- 
pressions used  in  the  Senate  were  distinctly  "  disloyal "  and 
"  treasonable,"  or  not.  As  a  matter  of  fact,  the  denunciations 
of  the  Senators  were  much  more  impassioned  and  severe  than 
anything  heard  at  the  meeting  of  the  women,  so  widely  com- 
mented on  by  bigoted  critics.  Nor,  in  either  case  was  there  a 
word  that  could  justly  be  condemned  as  *'  treasonable  "  or  "  dis- 
loyal." 

Many  supposedly  well-meaning  people  at  this  time  seem  to 
have  been,  as  at  present,  readily  victimized  by  habitual  purvey- 
ors of  absurd  falsehoods.  Thus,  Mrs.  Newman,  who  had  come, 
apparently,  from  Lincoln,  Nebraska,  to  help  the  people  of  Utah, 
addressed  several  memorials  to  Congress,  embodying  sad  tales  of 
misery,  degradation  and  neglect.  Among  these,  she  stated,  on 
the  professed  authority  of  a  certain  unnamed  "  lady  missionary," 
horrible  conditions  alleged  to  exist  in  the  Utah  penitentiary. 
The  report  states : 

"I  found  in  one  cell,  lo  x  13^,  without  a  floor,  six  women,  three 
of  whom  had  babies  under  six  months  of  age,  who  were  incarcerated 
for  contempt  of  court  in  refusing  to  acknowledge  the  paternity  of  their 
children.  When  I  plead  with  them  to  answer  the  court  and  be  released, 
they  said,  *  If  we  do,  there  are  many  wives  and  children  to  suffer  the 
loss  of  a  father.' 

"  In  another  cell  were  two  girls,  one  fourteen,  one  sixteen,  each 
married  to  her  own  father,  both  with  babes." 

On  the  publication  of  these  statements,  which  were  sent  forth 
to  help  prejudice  the  mind  of  the  public  against  Mormonism — - 
particularly  the  monstrous  story  about  two  young  girls  married 
to  their  own  fathers,  a  thing  as  utterly  foreign  to  the  teachings 
and  practices  of  Mormonism  as  to  those  of  any  other  civilized 
society  —  investigations  were  at  once  started  by  several  persons. 

370 


A  SHELTER  FOR  THE  "ERRING*'  371 

Thus  was  elicited  from  U.  S.  Marshal  Frank  H.  Dyer,  then  in 
charge  of  the  Penitentiary,  the  following  statement: 

"  With  regard  to  there  being  seven  women  confined  in  the  penitentiary 
at  that  time,  I  desire  to  say  that  it  is  correct.  Two  were  being  held 
for  contempt  of  court  in  refusing  to  answer  certain  questions  put  to 
them  by  the  court  touching  their  polygamous  marriage  relations;  one, 
[name  here  given  omitted],  twenty-three  years  of  age,  with  babe,  on 
the  charge  of  fornication;  another  for  robbery,  another  for  selling 
liquor  without  a  license,  and  two  for  adultery.  The  statement  as  to 
the  size  of  the  room,  in  which  these  persons  are  kept,  is  about  correct, 
being  so  small  as  for  it  to  be  almost  inhuman  to  keep  female  prisoners 
in  such  a  place ;  but  it  is  the  only  place  we  have  for  the  purpose.  There 
is  a  floor  in  it,  however,  which  is  always  kept  neat  and  clean. 

"  The  last  item  to  which  you  call  my  attention  is  this :  *  In  another 
cell  were  two  girls,  one  fourteen  and  one  sixteen,  who  were  married  to 
their  own  father,  both  with  babes.'  This  is  wholly  incorrect,  and  I 
cannot  understand  how  anybody  could  have  been  so  misled.  Somebody 
must  have  made  malicious  misrepresentations  to  Mrs.  Newman  on  this 
subject,  as  we  have  never  had  any  girls  of  this  age  confined  in  the 
penitentiary  since  I  have  been  marshal. 

"These  facts  are  taken  from  the  records  at  the  penitentiary  and  I 
personally  know  them  to  be  correct." — From  letter  addressed  to  H.  N. 
Clawson,  under  date,  October  9,  1888. 

The  false  stories  eagerly  accepted  by  Mrs.  Newman  and  other 
agitators,  utterly  without  attempts  at  verification,  as  seems  clear, 
were  used  as  "  exhibits  "  in  the  movement  to  persuade  Congress 
to  appropriate  sufficient  funds  to  enable  the  erection  and  main- 
tenance of  a  "  Christian  home "  in  Salt  Lake  City,  especially 
for  the  dependent  and  indigent  women  and  children,  victims  of 
polygamy.  So  strongly  was  the  need  of  such  an  institution 
urged  upon  Congress  that  $40,000  were  appropriated,  and  the 
*'  noble  work "  begun.  In  the  meantime,  however,  protests 
against  the  need  of  such  a  home  were  made  by  some  of  the  very 
persons  supposed  to  be  among  the  prospective  beneficiaries. 
Thus,  Mrs.  Emmeline  B.  Wells  and  three  other  Mormon  women 
vigorously  protested,  in  part,  as  follows: 

"As  we  are  the  representatives  of  the  Mormon  women,  we  do,  in 
their  name,  most  emphatically  protest  against  any  such  pretext  being 
used  for  obtaining  a  share  of  the  public  funds.  No  Mormon  woman, 
old  or  young,  is  compelled  to  marry  at  all;  still  less  to  enter  into 
polygamy.  .  .  . 

"Mrs.  Newman  has  no  right  to  insult  the  noble  band  of  Mormon 
matrons  and  maidens  by  asking  public  alms  for  their  benefit,  while  she 
is  industriously  circulating  the  malignant  falsehoods  by  which  bitter 
prejudice  has  already  been  created  against  them  and  their  religion. 

"  We  most  positively  assert  that  there  is  not  a  Mormon  wife,  whether 
plural  or  otherwise,  who  would  accept  charity  at  the  hands  of  those  who 
have  procured,  and  are  still  demanding  the  passage  of,  laws  whose  en- 
forcement has  brought  sorrow  and  desolation  into  their  once  happy 
homes." 

This  protest  is  incorporated,  with  other  historical  material,  in 


372  THE  REAL  MORMONISM 

the  annual  reports  of  the  "  home,"  together  with  Mrs.  Newman's 
"  stinging  reply  "  : 

"The  appropriation  is  not  asked  for  in  behalf  of  the  aristocracy  of 
the  Mormon  Church,  whose  very  luxury  is  the  holocaust  of  'others' 
woes/  These  women  by  their  treasonable  poHtical  attitude,  and  their 
avowed  hostility  to  Christian  marriage,  have  cut  the  cords  which  bind 
them  to  the  world's  heart.  The  *  insult  *  should  not  be  misappropf  iated." 
— The  Indu'strial  Christian  Home  Association,  of  Utah.  {Report,  1893) 
P>  IS. 

However,  on  Mrs.  Newman's  return  to  the  scene  of  her  chosen 
labors  for  humanity,  a  reception  was  tendered  her,  at  which 
Governor  Caleb  W.  West  made  a  speech,  lauding  her  labors  and 
congratulating  her  on  the  results,  as  follows : 

"The  laws  of  the  country  will  and  must  be  enforced,  hut  the  en- 
forcement of  the  laws  always  brings  suffering  to  the  innocent  wives 
and  children  of  the  offenders.  Nothing  so  appeals  to  the  human  heart 
as  a  suffering  woman  or  a  suffering  child.  We  recognize  the  situation 
and  we  appreciate  the  noble  efforts  of  her  who  has  striven  to  alleviate 
the  suffering  of  the  women  and  children  of  Utah,  who  are  left  upon 
the  cold  charity  of  the  world  by  the  enforcement  of  these  laws,  and  for 
such  there  should  be  a  wide,  great  home  in  which  they  could  be  taught  the 
branches  of  education  and  industry,  that  they  may  enjoy  the  comforts 
of  life.  That  object  will  receive  the  approval  of  the  One  who  set  the 
great  example  in  all  such  work,  the  Great  Lord  of  the  Universe,  who 
became  a  man  that  He  might  visit  the  lowly;  that  He  might  comfort 
the  distressed ;  that  He  might  help  the  helpless ;  and  it  seems  to  me  that 
this  noble  lady  must  have  found  the  greatest  joy  and  comfort  in  this 
thought,  that  she  was  following  in  the  footsteps  of  our  Savior.  It 
is  wonderful,  indeed,  that  this  lady  could  do  so  much  alone;  but  yet 
not  alone,  because  she  had  the  presence  of  the  One  who  inspired  her  to 
the  sacrifice  she  was  making;  she  had  back  of  her  here  in  Utah  the 
iprayers  of  all  the  helpless  women  and  innocent  children;  and,  with 
resolute  purpose  and  strong  arm,  she  pushed  forward  and  has  returned 
more  than  victorious;  and  the  highest  compliment  that  can  be  paid 
her  is,  that  the  Christian  people,  by  their  prayers  and  efforts  and  labors, 
shall,  when  the  institution  is  completed,  try  to  find  an  inmate  for  it  — 
some  poor  woman  or  suffering  child." — Ibid,  p.  15. 

There  is  no  need  to  criticize  the  motives  back  of  the  "  Chris- 
tian home,"  or  enlarge  upon  the  futility  of  the  entire  enterprise. 
Under  the  then  existing  conditions,  when  by  judicial  persecutions 
the  Federal  Government  had  broken  up  many  family  connec- 
tions, and,  presumably,  thrown  many  women  and  children  upon 
their  own  resources,  the  establishment  of  some  sort  of  refuge 
for  the  helpless  among  such  would  seem  to  have  been  no  more 
than  a  just  attempt  to  right  wrongs  and  compensate  for  injuries 
done,  although  such  injuries  may  have  been  **  necessary."  The 
entire  trouble  with  the  project  from  the  start  was  that  it  was 
based  upon  deliberate  misrepresentations  by  some  one  or  other 
—  such  person  or  persons  being  usually  quoted  anonymously  — 
of  the  social  and  moral  conditions  in  the  territory  of  Utah,  and 


A  SHELTER  FOR  THE  "ERRING"  373 

was  carried  to  completion  in  a  spirit  of  utter  ignorance  of  the 

genius  and  character  of  Mormonism.    As  was  remarked  by  Hon. 

John  T.  Caine,  Utah  delegate  in  Congress,  during  the  discussion 

of  the  proposition: 

"An  'industrial  home*  which  would  confine  itself  to  instructing 
women  and  children  in  the  arts  of  refined  domestic  pursuits,  while 
aflfording  them  maintenance,  would  indeed  be  a  great  boon  to  any  people. 
But  when  a  charity  is  coupled  with  the  condition  that  it  is  attainable 
only  by  abandoning  their  faith,  *  the  better  element  of  Mormon  society ' 
will  indeed  spurn  it.  So  far  as  'the  pauper  element'  is  concerned, 
Mormonism  eradicates  rather  than  produces  it.  It  is  no  idle  boast  of 
ours  that  in  exclusively  Mormon  communities  there  are  no  alms  houses 
and  no  need  of  them.  But  we  have  the  poor,  the  sick,  the  needy  who 
require,  and  not  in  vain,  at  our  hands,  relief.  'The  poor  ye  always 
have  with  ye,'  said  our  Savior.  Charity  no  Mormon  believes  a  thing  to 
be  spurned.  They  know  that  '  to  give  is  better  than  to  receive,'  but  they 
know,  also,  that  '  to  receive '  is  often  a  necessity." 

In  anticipation,  doubtless,  of  doing  a  great  work  in  the  relief 
of  the  hypothetical  "  distressed  victims  of  polygamy,"  an  impos- 
ing building  was  erected  in  Salt  Lake  City,  containing  a  total  of 
60  finished  living  rooms,  43  of  which  were  sleeping  rooms,  with 
space  for  about  a  dozen  more  in  the  unfinished  portions  of  the 
third  story  and  in  the  attic.  Such  provisions  must  seem  to  have 
been  wholly  inadequate  to  accommodate  the  "  hundreds  of  cases 
of  distress  "  supposedly  existing  in  Utah.  But  very  few,  if  any, 
of  the  class  for  whom  the  home  was  erected  ever  applied  for 
relief.  Mormon  writers  assert  that  no  Mormon  women  in  good 
standing  were  ever  sheltered  there.     Thus: 

"  The  '  home  *  was  opened  November  27,  1886,  in  rented  quarters,  but 
in  June,  1889,  moved  into  a  new  building  of  its  own,  erected  at  Salt 
Lake  City  with  additional  means  provided  by  Congress.  Its  object,  as 
stated  by  Congressmen,  was  to  provide  homes  and  employment  for 
'homeless  and  destitute'  polygamous  wives  and  their  children.  The 
project  was  a  complete  and  costly  failure;  there  being  no  'homeless  and 
destitute '  characters  of  that  kind  for  the  Government  to  support.  The 
new  building  was  finally  converted  into  offices  for  the  Utah  Commission, 
etc.  The  main  promoter  of  the  Industrial  home  was  Mrs.  Angie  F. 
Newman,  who  denied,  to  the  writer,  that  the  main  object  of  its  establish- 
ment was  the  one  above  mentioned." — Orson  F.  Whitney,  History  of 
Utah,  Vol,  III,  pp.  550-551  note. 

Although  as  Mrs.  Newman  represented  to  Bishop  Whitney, 
and  as  the  managers  of  the  home  repeatedly  suggested,  the 
"  original  object "  was  to  provide  relief  for  all  distressed  women 
and  children  of  worthy  character  in  the  territory,  a  "  strict  con- 
struction of  the  law  "  was  made,  confining  its  activities  solely  to 
the  relief  of  "  victims  of  polygamy."    Thus : 

"  To  provide  employment  and  means  of  self-support  for  the  dependent 
women  who  renounce  polygamy,  and  the  children  of  such  women,  of 
tender  age,  in  said  Territory,  with  a  view  to  aid  in  the  suppression  of 


374  THE  REAL  MORMONISM 

polygamy  therein." — Quoted  from  Act  of  Congress  and  circulated  in 
Utah. 

Nevertheless,  under  date  December,  1886,  the  Board  of  Con- 
trol of  the  home,  headed  by  Governor  West,  issued  a  letter,  from 
which  the  following  passages  are  quoted: 

"A  permanently  established  Industrial  Home  is  now  prepared  to 
receive  such  occupants  as  conform  to  the  provisions  of  the  act,  and  who 
may  have  been  left  destitute  by  abandonment  or  neglect,  or  by  the 
results  of  the  enforcement  of  the  United  States  Law  against  the  criminal 
practices  peculiar  to  this  Territory. 

"  It  is  the  sceptre  of  justice  in  one  hand  and  the  olive  branch  of 
mercy  in  the  other,  extended  in  sympathy  and  tenderness  to  the  suffer- 
ing, to  the  erring,  and  to  the  repentant. 

"The  prayers  and  supplications  of  forsaken  women  for  themselves 
and  their  children  are  now  abundantly  answered. 

"  An  American  Christian  Home,  under  the  care  and  supervision  of 
Christian  women,  and  the  fostering  support  of  the  United  States  gov- 
ernment, through  its  official  Board  of  Control,  opens  its  doors  and 
welcomes  under  its  roof  all  who  may  worthily  seek  this  refuge. 

"Encouragement,  hope,  sympathy,  instruction  and  love  extend  their 
arms  to  welcome  you  and  provide  for  you! 

"  The  wife,  deceived,  not  honored,  disowned,  neglected,  for  herself  and 
her  little  children,  may  here  find  comforting  strength  and  a  new  blessed- 
ness opening  out  before  her,  care  and  instruction  leading  them  to  suc- 
cessive steps  to  a  way  of  usefulness  and  a  self-reliant  support." — In- 
dustrial Christian  Home  Association  {Pamphlet) ,  p.  17. 

At  the  end  of  the  first  year,  according  to  the  figures  published 
in  the  above-mentioned  pamphlet,  a  total  of  154  women  and  chil- 
dren had  applied  for  relief  at  the  home,  and  of  these  only  33 
could  be  received  "  under  the  letter  of  the  law."  Of  this  total 
of  33  eligibles,  as  given  at  another  place,  11  were  women,  15 
boys  and  7  girls ;  12  of  the  children  being  "  of  tender  age."  In 
spite  of  this  meagre  showing,  however,  the  report  states  that  in 
the  first  ten  months  of  operation  the  inmates  had  made,  in  the 
sewing  room,  415  articles;  mended  259  articles;  darned  310  pairs 
of  stockings;  and  *' cut  and  fitted"  159  garments,  giving  a  total 
of  1,143  pieces  of  work  done  in  the  sewing  room.  These  darn- 
ings, mendings,  cuttings  and  fittings,  together  with  other  work 
about  the  place,  netted  the  inmates  a  grand  total  of  $212.82  "  for 
their  own  benefit "  in  the  same  period,  or  about  $19.35  P^^  adult 
inmate.  Nor  was  there  ever  a  greater  number  of  inmates  in 
the  home,  according  to  the  reports  of  the  president. 

The  defective  success  of  the  institution,  due,  undoubtedly,  to 
the  fact  that  its  object  was  to  relieve  a  class  that  either  did  not 
need,  or  would  not  accept,  such  relief,  was  attributed  by  the  man- 
agers, in  part,  to  the  "  direct  vilification  of  the  management  by 
Mormons  to  inmates  and  through  the  public  press."  Neverthe- 
less, deploring  the  fact  that  the  original  "broad  plan"  of  the 
institution   had  been   "  narrowed,"  the  president,   Mrs.   J.   H. 


A  SHELTER  FOR  THE  "  ERRING  "  375 

Ferry,  remarks,  "  It  is  a  pain  to  send  from  these  open  doors  a 
needy  woman  or  a  motherless  boy  because  such  applicant  is  not  a 
Mormon."  (Ibid.  p.  78.)  She  also  urged  constantly  that  the 
scope  of  the  institution  be  broadened,  so  as  to  accept  other 
classes,  such  as  "  legal  wives,"  who,  as  she  still  seemed  to  sup- 
pose, would  eagerly  avail  themselves  of  the  proffered  shelter. 

In  spite  of  the  few  inmates,  who  rightfully,  or  not,  had  ob- 
tained admission,  under  the  ''  strict  construction  of  the  law," 
there  were  numerous  applicants  at  all  times,  very  many  of  them 
of  the  same  class,  apparently,  as  the  ladies  found  by  Mrs.  New- 
man's anonymous  female  missionary,  "  in  one  cell,  .  .  .  without 
a  floor."  In  spite  of  the  fervid  rhetoric  of  his  public  utterances. 
Governor  West  seems  to  have  been  unwilling  to  extend  assistance 
to  most  of  these  persons  "without  visible  means  of  support." 
Some  such  cases  are  mentioned  in  the  pamphlet  above  quoted  as 
competent  to  "  uphold  those  favorable  to  a  liberal  construction 
of  the  statute  with  a  view  to  its  usefulness."    Thus : 

"  Mrs.  David  May ;  five  children :  Mr.  May  was  employed  in  the  silk 
factories  of  Glasgow,  Scotland ;  was  induced  by  missionaries  of  the  Lat- 
ter Day  to  come  to  Zion ;  arriving  in  Salt  Lake,  found  things  at  variance 
with  the  representations  which  had  been  made  by  the  missionaries;  was 
urged  to  go  into  polygamy;  then  resolved  to  leave  the  Territory. 

"The  wife  secured  employment  at  the  Continental  hotel,  Salt  Lake 
City;  husband  started  east  on  foot  by  the  Denver  and  Rio  Grande 
railway;  the  wife's  health  failed;  took  her  five  children  and  went  to 
Provo  for  lighter  work;  found  none;  applied  to  the  Mormon  Church 
for  help;  was  refused;  appealed  to  Judge  Henderson,  exclaiming; 
*Must  I  starve,  and  my  little  ones,  in  this  land  of  liberty?*  Judge 
Henderson  attempted  to  find  the  bishop  of  Provo;  the  bishop  took  the 
tinder-ground,  lest  the  woman  had  given  information  concerning  his 
plural  relations;  Judge  Henderson  then  made  application  to  the  In- 
dustrial Home  for  the  woman  and  her  five  children;  case  rejected  by 
Governor  West." — Pamphlet,  pp.  19-20. 

This  case,  possibly  a  real  example  of  distress,  due  to  simple 
abandonment,  which  is  no  exclusive  specialty  of  Mormons,  is 
here  elaborated  and  exaggerated,  as  is  perfectly  evident,  in  order 
to  create  further  feeling  against  the  Mormons  and  their  institu- 
tions. That  a  man,  so  indigent  as  to  be  obliged  to  walk  east  on 
the  railway  tracks  should  be  "  urged  to  go  into  polygamy  "  by 
people  who  already  had  their  own  troubles  on  this  score,  or  that 
the  "  Bishop  of  Provo  "  should  "  take  the  underground,"  fearing 
"  lest  the  woman  had  given  information,"  etc.,  are  evident  addi- 
tions made  for  the  purpose  of  qualifying  this  unfortunate  woman 
to  appear  as  a  "  victim  of  polygamy."  Why  must  benevolently- 
minded  people  be  ever  thus  credulous? 

Another  *'  sad  case  "  was  that  of  two  girls,  then  in  the  hands 

of  a  lady  Presbyterian  school  teacher,  who  is  quoted  as  writing: 

"I  sent  Emma  away  with  the  weight  of  her  soul  resting  upon  me. 


376  THE  REAL  MORMONISM 

but  I  could  not  keep  her  longer;  I  still  Have  the  sister;  the  mother  of 
these  girls  was  left  an  orphan  in  her  infancy;  was  brought  up  by  the 
bishop,  a  polygamist,  who  made  her  marry  a  sixty-year-old  polygamist 
when  she  was  twelve  years  old;  she  now  has  four  husbands." — Ibid,  p. 

20. 

This  case  also  was  rejected  by  Governor  West,  who,  adhering 
to  the  "  strict  construction  of  the  law,"  doubtless  saw  that  these 
girls  were  the  victims  of  "  polyandry,"  rather  than  of  "  polyg- 
amy," and  probably  disagreed  with  the  Presbyterian  lady,  who 
seems  to  have  thought  that  this  "  practice  "  also  was  a  "  Mor- 
mon institution." 

But  the  depths  of  infamy  —  or  should  we  say  the  "  heights  of 
absurdity  " —  are  attained  by  another  **  case  "  mentioned.     Thus : 

"  Case :  Second  wife,  sixty-three  years  of  age,  helpless  in  bed ;  no 
one  to  bring  her  a  drink  of  water;  no  Liberal  has  dared  to  help  her 
but  me,  for  they  dread  the  attacks  of  the  Mormons. 

"  I  am  a  widow,  living  alone  with  two  daughters,  and  I  am  seriously 
threatened  for  the  service  I  have  rendered  her.  The  Mormons  have 
cut  down  my  wood  and  drawn  it  away;  they  have  fenced  out  the  public 
road  so  that  I  could  not  go  to  town  to  get  supplies  —  all  because  I  have 
given  help  to  this  Mormon  woman.  I  know  three  or  four  other  Mor- 
mon women  for  whom  my  heart  is  weeping.  I  wish  the  Governor 
would  send  a  detachment  of  soldiers  to  help  them  away.  My  home 
should  shelter  them.  Ask  the  Governor  to  assist  me  now  and  send  com- 
missioners to  open  the  road. 

"  This  letter  was  taken  to  the  Governor  and  he  declined  to  have 
anjrthing  to  do  about  it,  and  rejected  the  cases." — Ibid.  p.  20. 

It  is  scarcely  remarkable  that  an  institution,  whose  managers 
persisted  in  circulating  wretched  stories  of  this  description, 
should  have  been  very  largely  avoided  by  the  very  classes  for 
whose  benefit  it  was  intended.  Nor  is  there  any  need  to  assume 
*'  direct  vilification "  by  Mormons  or  other  persons.  On  any 
basis,  the  failure  of  the  institution  would  seem  to  constitute  an 
additional  argument  for  the  oft-asserted  contention  that  the 
Mormon  women  were  not  seeking  sympathy,  and  did  not  desire 
it.  Whatever  may  have  been  the  basis  in  fact  for  any  of  the 
tales  of  suffering  and  "  oppression,"  so  widely  circulated  at  this 
period,  it  is  evident  that  the  Church  and  the  people  provided  in 
some  satisfactory  manner  for  all  such  women  and  children, 
"  victims  of  polygamy  " —  and  "  law  enforcement " —  as  were  in 
need.  In  view  of  the  fact  that  scarcely  a  dozen  "  eligible " 
women  were  ever  in  the  care  of  this  institution  at  any  one  time, 
there  seems  to  be  a  sad  element  of  satire  in  the  reported  remark 
of  Governor  West,  as  above  quoted: 

"The  highest  compliment  that  can  be  paid  to  her  (Mrs.  Newman) 
is,  that  the  Christian  people,  by  their  prayers  and  efforts  and  labors, 
shall,  when  the  institution  is  completed,  try  to  find  an  inmate  for  it." 

As  early  as  1888,  Mrs.  Ferry,  the  president  of  the  Association, 


A  SHELTER  FOR  THE  "ERRING"  377 

contributed  a  statement  to  the  annual  report  of  the  Utah  Com- 
mission, in  which  she  stated: 

"  The  board  of  this  association  do  not  propose  to  close  the  doors  of 
this  home  so  long  as  our  government  gives  them  the  means  to  provide 
a  home.  True,  there  are  disheartened  and  discouraged  members  of  the 
association  —  tired  of  giving  time  and  toil  where  it  is  unappreciated, 
but  most  of  those  who  began  the  work  are  as  true  to-day,  and  if  this 
effort  for  good  fails,  it  will  not  be  their  fault." 

The  Congressional  appropriation  was  withdrawn  in  1896,  when 
Utah  was  admitted  to  statehood,  and  the  work  of  the  home  asso- 
ciation ceased  automatically.  There  was  a  movement  to  locate 
the  Federal  offices,  post  office,  etc.,  in  the  building,  but  it  also 
failed.  After  several  years*  use  as  a  private  residence,  the  build- 
ing was  sold  at  public  auction,  Sept.  7,  1899. 

On  the  announcement  that  the  building  and  property  of  the 
Association  were  to  be  disposed  of  by  auction,  the  following 
comments  were  published  in  a  local  newspaper: 

"The  Women's  Industrial  Home  is  at  last  no  more.  The  building 
and  premises  on  Fifth  East  street  will  now  be  sold  to  the  highest 
responsible  bidder.  This  Utopian  dream  of  Utah  philanthropists  has 
had  many  a  rude  awakening,  but  none  quite  so  harsh  and  realistic  as  the 
present  prosaic  announcement  that  the  place  is  to  be  knocked  down 
under  the  hammer,  as  it  were,  as  so  much  old  junk,  for  which  the 
government  has  no  use. 

"By  the  way,  as  a  mere  matter  of  fact,  the  government  never  did 
have  any  real  use  for  the  place.  It  was  used  to  provide  certain  zealous 
men  and  women  of  good  intentions  but  faulty  judgment,  with  fairly 
good  offices  for  a  while,  but  that  was  the  only  good  purpose  it  ever 
serw&d."—' Deseret  Evening  News,  July  2%  1899. 


378  THE  REAL  MORMONISM 


A  POLYGAMIST'S  PRAYER 

The  following  verses  are  from  a  poem  written  by  a  Mormon, 
who  was  suffering  imprisonment  for  unlawful  cohabitation  under 
the  Edmunds  Law.  It  is  interesting  as  an  exhibit  of  the  state  of 
mind  of  many  of  these  offenders  and  "  constructive  "  offenders 
against  a  law,  under  which  their  enemies  had  ample  opportunity 
to  catch  them  on  all  kinds  of  technicalities. 

"  I  WILL  PRAY  FOR  YOU  TO-NIGHT 

"Dear  Family;  When  last  we  met 
In  truth  my  heart  did  ache. 
I  murmured  low,  "Tis  sad  to  go 
To  prison  for  conscience'  sake, 
To  part  with  friends  and  family  dear 
For  the  Gospel  truth  and  light.' 
I  dashed  aside  the  silent  tear, 
Resolved  with  God  to  fight, 
That  God  may  bless  all  in  distress 
I'll  pray  for  you  to-night. 


Through  wicked  men  and  unjust  laws 

Into  prison  we  are  cast, 

For  daring  defend  the  word  of  God, 

As  were  His  saints  in  ages  past. 

But  while  we  remain  upon  the  earth 

And  enjoy  true  Gospel  light. 

We'll  sing  His  praise  in  these  latter  days. 

Though  in  prison  we  are  to-night. 

Dear  Family;  Cheer  up;  Fresh  courage  take. 

Our  love  will  again  entwine, 

And  pervade  our  family  circle: 

Yes,  we'll  keep  God's  law  divine, 

For  time  and  all  eternity^ 

Heavenly  vows  did  us  unite. 

No  mortal  device  can  rend  those  ties. 

I  thank  God  for  this  to-night. 

Dear  Family;  Trials  we  must  pass  througK 

If  we  expect  to  gain 

The  blest  reward  of  the  faithful  saints 

Who  with  Jesus  Christ  shall  reign; 

As  kings  and  queens  mid  heavenly  scenes 

We'll  be  crowned  in  power  and  might. 

That  we  may  endure,  and  the  prize  secure 

Is  my  humble  prayer  to-night." 


VII 

ANTI-MORMON  EXPLANATIONS 

Vain  babblings  and  oppositions  of  science." — I  Timothy  vi.  20. 


CHAPTER  XXVI 

WAS  JOSEPH   SMITH   AN    EPILEPTIC? 

The  traditional  hypothesis  —  that  of  Smith's  entire  duplicity 
and  "  imposture " —  involves  altogether  too  many  absurd  and 
self -contradictory  assumptions,  when  we  come  to  a  careful  ex- 
amination. Nowhere  is  this  essential  absurdity  more  fully  ap- 
parent than  in  the  elaboration  of  the  theory  of  the  Spaulding 
authorship  of  the  Book  of  Mormon,  as  will  be  seen  at  a  later 
place.  According  to  any  of  these  explanations,  Smith  certainly 
deserves  credit  as  nearly  the  most  ingenious  and  able  of  all  men 
promulgating  a  system  of  belief,  popularly  classed  as  *'  untrue." 
The  astuteness  and  positive  executive  ability,  presumably  shown 
by  him  in  these  matters,  is  not  explained  by  the  unworthy  origin 
and  evil  youth,  as  vehemently  asserted  by  these  same  critics. 
Nor  do  we  find  more  "  promising  material "  in  any  of  his  early 
associates,  except,  possibly,  the  Pratt  brothers,  who,  able  as  they 
doubtless  were,  showed  no  signs  of  such  colossal  genius  as  we 
are  asked  to  assume  resided  in,  or  near,  Joseph  Smith.  It  takes 
genius  to  accomplish  great  results,  even  though  these  be  rated 
**  evil " ;  nor,  as  already  suggested,  is  a  "  bad  will "  the  only 
equipment  needed  for  success  in  such  matters. 

Later  theorizers,  aware  doubtless  of  the  defects  in  earlier 
methods  of  treating  Smith's  career  and  teachings,  have  attempted 
to  apply  the  principles  of  psychology  and  pathology  to  an  ex- 
planation of  his  case.  Thus,  we  have  the  now  popular  theory 
that  Smith,  although  honest,  so  far  as  his  own  conscience  was 
concerned,  was  a  victim  of  some  such  serious  derangement  as 
epilepsy.  The  authorized  accounts  of  his  several  visions  are 
taken  as  the  primary  evidences  of  this  allegation,  together  with 
certain  data  on  ancestral  and  parental  disease  and  eccentricity, 
as  predetermining  causes.  His  own  alleged  bad  habits  are 
credited  with  effect  as  "  aggravating  conditions."  The  suffi- 
ciency of  this  theory  may  be  judged  by  citations  from  one  of  its 
earliest  promulgators,  and  its  real  value,  apart  from  its  interest 
as  an  academic  discussion,  may  be  found  by  an  examination  of 
his  allegations.     Of  course,  as  the  adherents  of  this  theory  con- 

381 


382  ■  THE  REAL  MORMONISM 

fess,  there  is  a  lack  of  data  sufficient  to  positively  establish  their 
contentions,  or,  as  a  matter  of  fact,  to  establish  any  other  pro- 
posed explanation  of  the  reported  experiences  of  Smith's  visions. 
It  would  seem  far  more  satisfactory  to  report  merely  his  claims 
and  beliefs  in  the  matter,  and  proceed  to  a  discussion  of  his  other 
claims  and  teachings.  However,  we  must  be  reconciled,  in  the 
present  connection,  to  the  fact  that  the  numerous  confident  solu- 
tions of  the  "  riddle  of  Joseph  Smith,"  all  of  them  by  persons 
more  or  less  incapable  of  handling  such  matters  satisfactorily, 
must  be  considered  before  we  can  be  allowed  to  proceed  to  any- 
thing like  a  just  estimate  of  his  career  and  personality.  Nor 
can  we  complain  because  these  numerous  critics  render  unfavor- 
able opinions  in  regard  to  him.  Like  the  testimonies  of  his  "  old 
neighbors,"  so  often  quoted,  they  are  embarrassing  very  largely 
because  they  allege  with  competent  proof  so  little  that  is  worthy 
consideration,  so  little  that  constitutes  a  finality  in  way  of  ex- 
planation. Nor  is  this  any  the  less  true  of  the  alleged  scientific 
analysis  which  professes  to  find  Smith  an  epileptic  and  mental 
degenerate. 

The  earliest,  and  best  known,  exponent  of  the  epileptic  theory 
is  a  certain  Woodbridge  Riley,  formerly  instructor  in  English  in 
the  New  York  University,  who,  having  taken  up  the  study  of 
psychology,  presented  as  a  thesis  for  his  doctor's  degree  at  Yale 
University  the  book  subsequently  published  under  the  title.  The 
Founder  of  Mormonism.     In  his  preface  this  author  states: 
"  Sectarians  and  phrenologists,  spiritualists  and  mesmerists  have  vari- 
ously interpreted  his  [Smith's]  more  or  less  abnormal  performances  — 
It  now  remains  for  the  psychologist  to  have  a  try  at  them." 

As  candid  investigators  of  the  case  of  Mr.  Smith,  it  must  be 
confessed  at  the  start  that  Mr.  Riley  has  made  out  the  weakest 
kind  of  a  case  for  his  thesis  that  Smith  was  an  epileptic.  In 
the  character  of  the  "  psychologist "  mentioned  in  his  preface, 
he  is  very  much  like  the  dentist  who  will  attribute  all  the  ills  of 
a  patient  to  defective  teeth,  or  the  oculist  who  will  blame  poor 
eyes  for  the  same  symptoms.  He  makes  Mr.  Smith  not  only 
some  vague  variety  of  epileptic,  but  also  a  most  interesting 
psychological  study,  a  veritable  magazine  of  about  all  the  obscure 
and  remarkable  psychological  and  *'  psychic "  symptoms  recog- 
nized by  modem  writers.  Thus,  Smith  was  a  "  hypnotist "  who 
could  persuade  the  eleven  witnesses  of  the  Book  of  Mormon  that 
they  had  actually  seen  the  golden  plates ;  as  an  "  automatic 
writer "  he  produces  the  Book  of  Mormon ;  he  is  a  "  faith 
healer,"  occultist  and  exorcist,  who,  in  spite  of  a  personality  and 
manners,  which  Mr.  Riley  finds  were  distinctly  repulsive  in  sev- 
eral particulars,  and,  in  spite  of  real  derangement  of  several 


WAS  JOSEPH  SMITH  AN  EPILEPTIC?  383 

probable  varieties,  is  able  to  accomplish,  or  at  the  least  to  lay  the 
foundation  of  a  work  that  has  worried  sensitive  souls  very  sorely 
during  the  past  eighty  years.  Riley's  claims  may  be  true,  but 
his  proffered  "  proofs  "  are  inconclusive ;  partly  because  he  evi- 
dently has  no  clinical  or  professional  knowledge  of  the  symptoms 
of  epileptic  affections,  and  partly  because  that,  according  to  him, 
Mr.  Smith  displayed  such  a  profusion  of  rare  and  doubtful 
symptoms  that  one  must  regret  that  such  a  case  should  have 
missed  observation.  Just  as  many  medical  students  are  said  to 
begin  finding  the  symptoms  of  the  diseases  they  read  about  in 
themselves,  so  Riley  seems  to  suspect  that  Smith  "  had  them  all." 
In  spite  of  these  defects,  his  work  has  been  accepted  as  a  genuine 
contribution  to  the  literature  of  the  subject,  and  his  explanation 
has  been  endorsed  by  repetition  in  well-known  works  of  refer- 
jence. 

Aware  of  the  fact  that  such  a  disease  as  epilepsy  must  be 
explained  by  definite  conditions  or  occurrences  in  the  history  of 
the  patient,  or  in  the  experiences  of  his  parents  or  ancestors, 
Riley  offers  an  analysis  of  the  family  history  of  the  Smiths, 
which  seeks  to  account  for  the  prophet's  experiences  and  his 
mental  peculiarities  by  his  ancestors'  **  illiteracy,  their  restless- 
ness and  their  credulity,"  matters  in  which,  however,  they  were 
in  no  sense  unique.  In  addition  to  their  belief  in  dreams  and 
other  spiritual  manifestations,  certain  traits  common  to  both 
lines  are  adduced  as  evidence  that  the  descendant  must  have  been 
in  some  way  of  unstable  mentality.  Thus,  his  maternal  grand- 
father, Solomon  Mack,  in  addition  to  alcoholic  addiction  in  early 
life,  suffered  an  accident  shortly  before  the  birth  of  Smith's 
mother,  the  limb  of  a  tree  falling  on  his  head  and  inducing 
"  fits."  He  also  had  hallucinations  in  old  age.  (pp.  346-347.) 
Smith's  paternal  grandfather,  Asael  Smith,  ''  nicknamed  '  crook- 
necked  '  Smith,  at  the  age  of  eighty-six,  is  spoken  of  as  *  just 
recovering  from  a  severe  fit '  and  of  *  weak  mind.'  There  is 
nothing  more  to  be  made  of  this  than  mental  failure  due  to 
senility."  (p.  348.)  His  maternal  grandmother,  Lydia  Gates 
Mack,  is  credited  with  a  "  severe  fit  of  sickness  "  at  the  age  of 
forty-seven,  although  she  was  "alive  in  1815,  aged  eighty." 
(p.  348.)  However,  "  it  is  noticeable  that  the  collaterals  on  the 
male  side  were  uniformly  healthy."  (p.  348.)  Much  is  made 
of  the  "  hallucinations  "  of  Smith's  mother,  the  dreaming  habit 
of  his  father,  and  the  religious  excitability  of  both,  but,  as  the 
author  evidently  recognizes,  no  conclusive  predisposition  to  dis- 
ease is  to  be  found  in  these  facts. 

Among  the  "  predisposing  causes  "  in  the  case  of  Smith  him- 
self are  mentioned  "  an  infectious  fever  and  an  ulceration " ; 


384  THE  REAL  MORMONISM 

and  among  "  exciting  causes,"  "  nervous  instability,  consequent 
on  protracted  religious  excitement "  and  "  fright,"  the  latter  oc- 
curring when  a  "gun  was  fired  across  his  pathway."  (p.  351.) 
Riley  then  proceeds  to  account  for  the  visions  of  the  prophet,  as 
follows : 

"  Now  the  first  vision  may^  be  explained  as  a  migraine,  but  the  recur- 
rence of  this  psychic  aura,  in  a  more  or  less  stereotyped  form,  along 
with  otherwise  inexplicable  injuries  and  contusions,  is  to  be  laid  to  a 
real  epilepsy.  Here  alcoholism  was  first  in  the  list  of  provocative  causes. 
Joseph's  confession  as  to  the  *  weakness  of  youth,  foolish  errors,  divers 
temptations  and  gratifications  of  appetites  offensive  in  the  sight  of  God,' 
is  to  be  coupled  with  the  confessions  of  his  adherents  that  he  sometimes 
drank  too  much  liquor.  The  frequency  of  his  intoxication  cannot  be  de- 
termined ;  along  with  Joseph,  senior,  he  was  charged  by  his  enemies  with 
public  drunkenness ;  the  Mormons  themselves  acknowledge  at  least  two 
of  the  counts.  .  .  .  That  alcoholism  did  but  little  to  debilitate  Joseph  is 
proved  by  his  general  good  health  after  thirty.  It  was,  however,  a 
provocative  agent  of  his  second  attack  at  eighteen,  for  only  the  slightest 
stimulation  was  necessary  to  bring  about  a  repetition  of  the  first  at- 
tack. 

"The  two  earliest  seizures  may  be  now  examined  in  conjunction. 
As  already  suggested,  the  theophanic  portion  of  the  visions  may  be 
largely  explained  as  an  ophthalmic  migraine.  Whether  this  is  to  be 
associated  with  a  partial  sensorial  epilepsy,  is  determinable,  in  one  case, 
by  what  precedes,  in  the  other  by  what  follows.  Collecting  the  terms 
there  are  the  following  expressions:  *A  pillar  of  light  exactly  over 
my  head,  above  the  brightness  of  the  sun,  which  descended  gradually 
until  it  fell  upon  me.'  In  the  second  vision  the  details  are  fuller  and 
more  exact :  *  On  a  sudden,  a  light  like  that  of  day,  only  of  a  far 
purer  and  more  glorious  appearance  and  brightness  burst  into  the  room; 
indeed  the  first  sight  was  as  though  the  house  was  filled  with  a  consum- 
ing fire.  ...  I  saw  the  light  in  the  room  begin  to  gather  immediately 
around  the  person  of  him  who  had  been  speaking  to  me,^  and  it  continued 
to  do  so,  until  the  room  was  again  left  dark,  except  just  around  him, 
when  instantly  I  saw,  as  it  were,  a  conduit  open  right  up  into  heaven, 
and  he  ascended  up  till  he  entirely  disappeared,  and  the  room  was  left  as 
it  had  been  before  this  heavenly  light  had  made  its  appearance.'  This 
manifestation  was  repeated  twice  that  night,  once  on  the  following  day, 
and  also  throughout  the  series.  As  usual  the  apparent  objective  mani- 
festations were  actually  subjective  symptoms.  Their  similarity  is  due 
to  the  fact  that  in  ophthalmic  migraine  periodical  attacks  tend  to  be 
similar  in  the  same  patient.  The  visual  disturbance  is  ushered  in  by 
a  dimness  or  blindness,  then  a  scintillating  scotoma  occupies  the  outer 
portions  of  the  visual^  field.  Patients  experiencing  this  symptom  for 
the  first  time  cannot  give  an  exact  account  of  it,  more  than  that  it  is  a 
dazzling  comparable  to  that  observed  in  looking  at  the  sun.  But  with 
repetition  there  comes  a  more  accurate  envisagement,  as  in  the  second 
vision  of  Joseph.  'The  luminous  ball  of  fire  enlarges;  its  center  be- 
comes obscure;  gradually  it  passes  beyond  the  limits  of  the  visual  field 
above  and  below,  and  the  patient  sees  only  a  portion  of  it,  in  the  form  of 
a  broken  luminous  line,  which  continues  to  vibrate  until  it  has  entirely 
disappeared.  Then  follows  a  phase  of  exhaustion  and  sometimes 
somnolence.' 

"These  sequelae  appear  in  the  second  vision,  but  to  turn  to  the 
prodromata  of  the  first.    Joseph  says  that  in  this  time  of  great  excite- 


WAS  JOSEPH  SMITH  AN  EPILEPTIC?  385 

ment  his  mind  was  in  a  state  of  '  great  uneasiness/  his  feelings  *  deep  and 
pungent,'  and  he  '  kept  himself  aloof.'  These  are  the  remote  premonitory 
symptoms  of  an  attack,  when  the  patient  labors  under  a  singular  op- 
pression two  or  three  days  beforehand  and  is  irritable,  sad  and  secretive. 
The  real  seizure  does  not  follow,  unless  there  are  immediate  premonitory 
symptoms.  These  are  not  lacking  in  Joseph's  case ;  the  '  think  darkness ' 
may  be  explained  as  a  migrainous  scotoma,  but  fuller  explanation  is 
needed  of  Joseph's  additional  statements :  *  I  was  seized  upon  by  some 
.power  as  to  bind  my  tongue;  I  was  ready  to  sink  into  despair,  until  I 
found  myself  delivered  from  the  enemy;  I  saw  two  personages,  whose 
brightness  and  glory  defy  all  description,  one  of  whom  spake  unto  me.' 
Taken  in  order  and  with  proper  terminology  these  phenomena  appear  to 
constitute  the  real  epileptic  aura.  After  the  gradually  increasing 
melancholic  depression,  the  patient  manifests:  first,  a  sudden  terror; 
second,  violent  palpitations  of  the  heart,  accompanied  by  a  difficulty  in 
breathing  and  a  constriction  of  the  larynx;  third,  along  with  these 
symptoms  are  complex  visual  and  auditory  hallucinations  of  corporeal 
figures,  such  as  of  fantastic  personages  who  carry  on  a  conversation 
or  deliver  a  message.  More  marked,  psychic,  sensitive  and  sensory 
prodromata  are  manifest  in  the  second  vision.  Whether  this  first  psychic 
paroxysm  was  followed  by  a  real  seizure,  is  undeterminable.  It  is  not,  at 
any  rate,  the  classic  major  attack.  There  is  loss  of  consciousness  — 
*  when  I  came  to  myself ' —  but  nothing  from  which  general  convulsions 
can  be  inferred.  Nevertheless  the  sensorial  migraine  is  an  equivalent 
for  convulsive  paroxysms.  Again,  in  the  major  attacks,  there  is  often 
lacking  the  initial  cry,  tongue  biting,  and  evacuations.  .  .  .  Turning  to 
the  second  seizure,  it  represents  the  more  essential  features  of  mental 
and  motor  disturbance, —  a  verbal  deafness  and  feebleness  of  the  limbs, 
followed  by  exhaustion  and  somnolence.  The  vision  proper  took  place 
the  night  before  the  real  seizure.  As  there  was  no  apparent  loss  of 
consciousness,  it  may  be  considered  merely  as  the  immediate  premoni- 
tion. Moreover,  this  vision,  like  the  first,  was  preceded  by  anxiety  and 
disquietude  — *  I  often  felt  condemned  for  my  weakness  and  imperfec- 
tions.' As  an  immediate  prodroma,  it  is  marked  by  more  exact  details. 
The  parallel  account  gives  these  extra  data.  The  celestial  messenger's 
appearance  was  like  'fire,'  and  'produced  a  shock  which  affected  the 
whole  body.'  These  may  be  explained  as  the  sensory  aura  of  red  color 
(rothen  flammenschein)  and  the  sensitive  aura  of  numbness  (engourdis- 
sement). —  /.   IV.  Riley    (The  Founder  of  Mormonism,  pp.  352-356). 

While  there  can  be  no  doubt  that  in  the  foregoing  analysis 
Mr.  Riley  has  mentioned  and,  apparently,  identified  several  of 
the  leading  symptoms  of  epileptic  seizures,  it  is,  nevertheless, 
true  that  he  has  also  assumed  as  proven  several  other  things  that 
are  by  no  means  obvious,  if  we  are  to  form  a  diagnosis  of  this 
case  on  the  basis  of  principles  advanced  by  some  of  the  most 
careful  authorities.  Thus,  while  it  will  be  agreed  that  very 
many  epileptic  patients  are  affected  with  "  sensory  aurae,"  which 
take  the  form  of  apparent  visual  and  auditory  perceptions  — 
causing  the  patient  to  believe  to  be  properly  objective  certain 
effects  arising  from  internal  derangements  of  the  centres  of 
sight  and  hearing  —  it  is  equally  true  that  cases  in  which  are 
found  perfectly  definite  sense  experiences,  such  as  Smith  de- 


386  THE  REAL  MORMONISM 

scribes,  are  certainly  rare,  if  not  extremely  doubtful.  Thus,  al- 
though some  authorities  assert  that  all  the  vivid  visions  recorded 
in  the  past  are  only  so  many  evidences  of  epileptic,  or  epileptoid, 
affection,  there  can  be  no  doubt  that  the  average  sensory  experi- 
ence of  this  character  in  the  patients  examined  by  competent 
physicians,  are  vague,  inchoate  and  indefinite.  We  find  men- 
tion, for  example,  of  "  flashes  of  light,"  "  flashes  of  various 
colors,"  "  wavelike  motions  in  the  air,"  **  balls  of  fire  in  rapid 
vibratory  motion,"  "  zigzag  lines  and  figures  resembling  an  elec- 
tric spark  " ;  occasionally,  also,  figures  of  people  or  animals,  usu- 
ally in  motion;  frequently  a  delusion  of  magnification  of  visible 
objects.  Among  the  commoner  auditory  aurae,  which  are  some- 
times associated  with  the  visual,  we  find  mention  of  "  roaring 
and  buzzing,"  "  roaring  and  voices,"  "  sounds  like  sea  waves." 
Anything  like  the  definite  visual  and  auditory  experiences  re- 
corded in  the  case  ot  Joseph  Smith  is  absent  in  the  reports  of 
the  more  careful  investigators  of  the  recognized  epileptic  and 
epileptiform  affections.  That  this  should  be  the  case  may  be 
readily  understood,  when  we  consider  that  the  physical  cause  of 
the  symptom  known  as  **  migraine  " —  this  word  is  cognate  with 
"  megrim,"  and  means  primarily  "  headache  " —  is  some  localized 
oppression  of  the  brain  centre  involved.  Such  condition  is 
likely  to  result  in  the  orders  of  sensory  phenomena  mentioned 
above,  far  oftener  than  in  anything  of  a  clean-cut  and  definite 
character. 

There  seems  to  be  considerable  uncertainty  among  authorities 
touching  the  exact  relation  between  migraine  and  epilepsy.  This 
may  be  understood  from  the  following: 

"  The  relationship  between  these  affections  (migraines)  and  epilepsy 
has  long  been  in  dispute.  I  believe  it  is  associated  with  the  disease, 
especially  in  women,  who  more  frequently  show  a  periodicity  in  con- 
vulsive phenomena  than  men.  Unquestionably  some  of  the  lighter  forms 
of  epilepsy  pass  for  periodic  sick  headaches.  It  is  the  rule  for  psychic 
seizures  to  be  followed  by  an  intense,  protracted  pain  in  the  head,  that 
may  persist  for  several  days.  .  .  .  Before  we  can  understand  the  rela- 
tionship between  periodic  migraine  and  some  of  the  lighter  epileptic 
states  or  equivalents,  we  must  have  a  thorough  understanding  of  the 
scope,  character,  and  causes  of  such  states  and  equivalents." —  William 
P.  Spratling,  M.  D.,  {Epilepsy  and  Its  Treatment,  pp.  180-181). 

"  Sir  Lauder  Brunton  discusses  at  length  the  possible  relationship 
between  migraine  and  epilepsy,  saying  in  part :  *  If  the  terminal  branches 
of  the  temporosphenoidal  artery  become  contracted  like  a  bit  of  piano 
wire,  as  the  one  which  runs  up  my  forehead  does  during  a  headache,  the 
nutrition  for  the  center  of  sight  in  the  brain  must  necessarily  be  im- 
paired, and  if  the  spasm  should  extend  further  down  the  artery,  the 
centers  of  hearing,  taste,  and  smell  will  also  suffer.  I  think  it  probable 
that  such  impairment  is  the  cause  of  the  indistinct  vision  in  hemianopsia, 
i.e.,  blindness  to  all  objects  on  one  side  of  the  body,  either  to  right 


WAS  JOSEPH  SMITH  AN  EPILEPTIC?  387 

or  left,  even  of  complete  blindness  and  of  zigzags  which  occur  either 
before  or  during  an  attack  of  migraine.' 

"This  distinguished  author  says,  moreover,  that,  while  the  idea  to 
some  may  be  far-fetched,  he  inclines  to  believe  that  the  fairies  which 
many  people  declare  they  see  are  nothing  more  than  the  colored  zigzags 
of  migraine  modified  by  imagination,  and  in  some  cases  occasioned  by 
an  abnormal  condition  of  one  or  the  other  eye. 

"Hallucinations  of  sight  during  epileptic  attacks  in  which  there  is 
mental  disturbance  are  not  uncommon,  but,  in  my  experience,  such  ocular 
manifestations  as  those  described  by  Fere  and  alluded  to  by  Brunton, 
in  which  this  condition  is  the  only  indication  of  an  attack  of  epilepsy, 
are  exceedingly  rare,  while  the  very  fact  that  visual  aurae  are  so  common 
before  ordinary  attacks,  and  often  so  complicated  in  their  formation, 
constitutes  additional  reasons  for  the  existence  of  partial  epileptic, 
attacks  that  find  the  eye  in  ophthalmic  migraine  the  center  of  dis- 
turbance. In  such  conditions  the  pupils  are  usually  contracted,  while 
in  ordinary  epilepsy  they  are  the  reverse." — Ibid.  pp.  185-186. 

While  it  must  be  extremely  difficult  to  analyze  the  conditions 
of  epileptic  and  epileptoid  affections,  and  to  say  definitely  which 
of  the  minor  symptoms  are  characteristic  of  a  true  seizure  of 
any  variety,  and  which  not,  it  seems  to  be  fairly  well  accepted 
among  authorities   that  the  sensory  hallucinations   incident  on 
migraines,  and  other  affections  of  the  brain  and  circulation,  are 
by  no  means  indicative  of  an  epileptic  condition.     Such  experi- 
ences, as  the  consequence  of  fevers  and  general  disorders  of  the 
brain  and  nervous  system,  are  by  no  means  uncommon.     Nor  is 
there  any  one  definite  assignable  cause  that  may  be  cited  in  the 
case  of  the  reported  visions  of  Joseph  Smith,  or  any  other  per- 
son.    The    identification    of    these    visions    with    "  ophthalmic 
migraine "  by  the  author  quoted  above  consists  merely  in  the 
use  a  term  habitually  associated  with  epilepsy,  but  which  does 
not  certainly  cover  the  involved  experiences.     To  identify  them 
with  prodromic  symptoms  of  epileptic  attacks  is  thoroughly  gra- 
tuitous, unless  they  be  accepted  as  highly  embellished  accounts 
based  on  the  simple  phenomena  of  the  ordinary  sensory  aura. 
The  authority  just  quoted  illustrates  this  contention,  as  follows: 
"  Sensory  aurae  are  vastly  more  common  than  all  the  rest  and  partake 
of  the  greatest  imaginable  range  in  character.  .     .  Visual  aurae  greatly 
predominate,  occurring  as  often  as  those  of  taste,  hearing  and  smell  com- 
bined.   They  usually  take  the  form  of  flashes  of  light,  the  colors  of 
the  rainbow  passing  in  rapid  succession  across  the  field  of  vision.    In 
other  instances  they  appear  in  the  nature  of  optical  illusions,  people, 
dogs,  cats,  and  wild  animals  of  various  kinds  being  engrafted  on  the 
visual  field;  while  it  still  more  rarely  happens  that  temporary  blindness 
immediately  precedes  the  attack." — Ibid.  pp.  225-226. 

Judging  from  the  testimony  of  experts,  it  is  probable  that 
definite  ideas  are  occasionally  derived  from  sensory  illusions, 
when  experienced  in  combination  with  aura  more  definitely 
"  psychic.'*    Thus  "  Gowers  mentions  a  woman  who  saw  London 


3^  THE  REAL  MORIVTONISM  , 

in  ruins,  the  Thames  emptied  to  receive  them,  and  herself  the 
lonely  survivor.  This  he  calls  a  manifest  *  psycho-sensory  warn- 
ing/ "  The  application  for  all  this  to  the  discussion  of  the  case 
in  hand  is  evident,  when  we  come  to  a  study  of  the  leading 
symptoms  of  the  disorders  mentioned,  and  see  how  far  they 
apply  to  the  case  of  Joseph  Smith. 

As  defined  by  several  authorities,  epilepsy  is  a  "group  of 
symptoms,  due  to  different  pathological  conditions,"  which  is 
characterized  by  a  loss  of  consciousness,  short  or  long  in  dura- 
tion, frequently  associated  with  chronic  recurrent  paroxysms, 
popularly  known  as  "  fits."  On  the  varying  nature  and  extent 
of  these  paroxysms  authorities  have  found  a  basis  for  classifica- 
tion of  several  types  of  epileptic  affection.  Thus  (i)  Grand 
Mai,  which  includes  a  complete  loss  of  consciousness  and  of 
motor  coordination,  accompanied  by  a  violent  fall  to  the  ground 
and  severe  convulsions;  (2)  Petit  Mai,  in  which  there  need  not 
be  a  complete  loss  of  consciousness  or  motor  control,  nor,  as  a 
rule,  a  violent  falling  to  the  ground,  the  muscular  convulsions 
being  also  less  violent;  (3)  Partial  Seizure,  called  by  some  au- 
thorities "  Jacksonian  Epilepsy,"  which  consists  essentially  in 
convulsive  movements  of  some  one  limb  or  group  of  muscles,  al- 
though not  involving  loss  of  consciousness  —  this  seems  to  be 
the  '*  transitional "  form  mentioned  by  other  authorities ;  (4) 
Psychic  Epilepsy,  which  is  merely  a  "  temporary  blank  in  the 
field  of  consciousness  .  .  .  rarely  accompanied  by  muscular  dis- 
turbance of  any  kind,"  although  sometimes  characterized  by 
visual  phenomena.  There  are,  in  addition,  various  milder  forms 
of  seizure,  which  are  either  the  early  stages  of  some  definite  type 
of  the  general  malady,  or,  because  of  symptomatic  resemblances, 
are  classed  as  "  epileptoid  "  or  "  epileptiform." 

In  discussing  Smith's  case,  Mr.  Riley  claims  as  evidences  of 
real  seizures  several  facts  mentioned  by  either  Smith  himself 
or  his  mother.  Among  these  are  his  several  losses  of  conscious- 
ness; the  several  cases  of  great  exhaustion  and  fright;  the  fact 
that,  on  one  occasion,  as  related,  he  had  dislocated  his  thumb  — 
a  result  of  inflexion  on  the  palm  of  the  hand,  as  the  first  move- 
ment in  a  progressive  and  violent  series  of  muscular  convulsions ; 
and  that,  on  at  least  one  occasion  — "  when  returning  home  with 
the  golden  plates " —  he  was  found  to  have  been  severely 
bruised,  either  as  the  result  of  an  assault  by  highwaymen,  as  he 
stated,  or  of  the  injuries  resulting  from  a  true  ''grand  mar' 
attack,  as  Riley  claims.  However,  in  spite  of  these  data,  Mr. 
Riley  concludes,  as  follows: 

"The  evidence  in  Joseph's  case  is  now  in.    It  remains,  if  possible,  to 

locate  it  among  the  various  forms  of  epilepsy :  —  i.  grand  mal;  2.  petit 


WAS  JOSEPH  SMITH  AN  EPILEPTIC?  389 

wo/;  3.  transitional;  4.  irregular;  5.  epileptoid  and  epileptiform  (North- 
nagel).  .  .  .  Joseph's  case  is  not  in  the  first  category,  grand  mal,  for 
*the  major  convulsive  attack,  with  loss  of  consciousness,  presents  this 
constant  characteristic, —  that  it  leaves  no  trace  in  the  memory  of  the 
patient.'  This  amnesia  varies  in  duration.  '  Many  patients  remember 
the  remote  premonitory  phenomena  and  even  the  sensations  of  the  aura. 
Some  retain  the  memory  of  the  first  convulsive  movements'  (Fere). 
.  .  .  There  is  no  single  experience  of  Joseph's  which  completely  fulfils 
the  classic  formula :  —  premonitory  symptoms  remote  and  immediate, 
with  both  mental  and  motor  disturbances;  the  attack  proper,  with  its 
two  periods  of  tonic  and  clonic  convulsions;  the  after-stage  of  gradual 
return  to  consciousness,  with  abnormally  deep  sleep;  and  the  sequelae 
—  of  wounds,  bruises,  excoriations. 

"  If  Joseph's  case  is  not  grand  mal,  it  is  also  not  petit  mal.  He  had 
in  the  first  half  of  the  series  premonitions,  and  in  the  last  half  spasms. 
Again,  to  anticipate,  the  depth  of  his  exhaustion  and  of  his  unnerved 
and  bruised  state  militate  against  the  penultimate  class, —  the  so-called 
irregular  forms,  in  which  the  epileptic  delirium  is  mild ;  and  in  greater 
degree  against  the  first  class, —  the  epileptoid  and  epileptiform  seizures. 
These  are  slight  and  incomplete  and  do  not  comprise  violent  acts  of 
ambulatory  automatism  in  which  the  patient  senselessly  wounds  him- 
self. Possibly  Joseph's  last  recorded  seizure,  with  the  long  flight  from 
home,  may  be  one  of  those  irregular  forms,  in  which  convulsions  are 
replaced  by  running.  On  the  whole,  out  of  the  five  given  varieties, 
the  third,  from  its  inclusive  character,  best  describes  Joseph's  case." — 
The  Founder  of  Mormonism,  pp.  361-362. 

It  is  disappointing  to  find  a  professed  scientific  discussion  of 
an  interesting  case  ending  in  such  a  manner,  although,  to  one  in- 
vestigating the  matter  from  an  unprejudiced  point  of  view,  it 
would  be  difficult  to  see  exactly  how  it  could  be  otherwise.  As  a 
matter  of  fact,  no  one  of  the  alleged  "  symptoms  "  mentioned  by 
Riley,  nor  all  of  them  together,  can  certainly  establish  the  sus- 
picion that  Smith  was  afflicted  in  any  such  manner  as  is  claimed. 
Some  of  these  *'  symptoms  "  seem  to  indicate  the  graver  forms  of 
epileptic  attack,  while  others,  mentioned  in  close  association  with 
them,  suggest  merely  the  minor  forms  of  the  affection,  or,  even 
some  of  the  numerous  orders  of  malady  classed  as  "  epilepti- 
form "  or  "  epileptoid."  We  must  conclude,  therefore,  that 
either  the  accounts  of  the  experiences,  as  recorded  by  Smith  and 
his  mother,  are  inaccurate  as  to  detail,  several  experiences  being 
confused  and  massed  together,  or  else  that  their  true  nature  and 
explanation  have  not  as  yet  been  found.  Thus  the  alleged  "  pro- 
dromata,"  discerned  in  the  recorded  "  great  uneasiness  "  and  the 
feelings  "  deep  and  pungent  "  ("  poignant "),  as  well  as  the  "  keep- 
ing aloof,"  appear  in  Smith's  narration,  above  quoted,*  as  chronic 
and  constant  states  of  mind,  rather  than  the  forerunners  of  any 
attacks  whatever.  His  religious  anxieties  and  perturbations,  as 
was  quite  characteristic  at  the  time,  seem  to  be  described  in  the 
first  two  expressions,  while,  as  regards  the  third,  as  seen  in  the 

*  See  page  i6, 

i 


390  THE  REAL  MORMONISM 

quotation  from  his  journal  given  above,  he  distinctly  states  that 
'*  I  kept  aloof  from  all  these  parties  (religious  denominations), 
though  I  attended  their  several  meetings  as  often  as  occasion 
would  permit."  It  is  quite  unlikely  that  a  person  laboring  under 
a  "  delusion  of  persecution  "  and  who  is  "  irritable,  sad  and  secre- 
tive," should,  *'  as  occasion  would  permit,"  put  himself  into  the 
company  of  those  supposed  to  be  the  cause  of  his  misfortunes, 
and  the  subjects  of  his  diseased  aversion. 

A  very  similar  judgment  may  be  recorded  on  the  attempted  ex- 
planation of  Smith's  account  of  his  several  cases  of  exhaustion. 
Such  exhaustion  follows,  of  course,  from  epileptic  attacks,  but  its 
presence  does  not  involve  such  causes  by  any  necessary  condi- 
tions, particularly  in  a  person  of  active  habits.  Furthermore,  it 
is  probable  that  such  effects,  when  noticeably  present,  would  indi- 
cate far  more  serious  complications,  also  much  severer  paroxysms 
than  can  be  alleged  in  the  case  of  Smith,  by  Riley's  own  acknowl- 
edgment. Unless  such  "  symptoms  "  be  very  much  overstated,  it 
seems  safer  to  say  that  they  would  indicate  some  order  of  "  ex- 
haustive paralysis "  than  any  mere  fatigue  of  ordinary  type. 
This  may  be  illustrated  in  the  following  quotation  from  the  au- 
thority above  cited : 

"  Exhaustion-paralysis,  or  a  more  or  less  complete  but  temporary 
loss  of  function  of  some  part  of  the  body,  may  follow  certain  types  of 
epileptic  seizures.  This  condition  of  transient  paralysis  is  epilepsy  was 
first  carefully  observed  by  Bravais  in  1824,  as  mentioned  in  his  work  on 
hemiplegic  epilepsy,  .  .  .  Some  degree  of  paralysis,  exhaustive  in  nature, 
is  not  rare  after  Jacksonian  or  partial  epilepsy,  and  may  be  easily  demon- 
strated in  which  consciousness  is  retained  during  the  fit;  it  probably 
occurs  in  some  degree  after  every  attack  in  this  form  of  epilepsy. 
The  fewer  the  muscles  affected  by  the  fit,  the  greater  will  be  the  sub- 
sequent weakness,  inasmuch  as  it  is  a  result  of  a  local  and  complete 
discharge  of  one  particular  motor  area.  .  .  .  The  motor  weakness  more 
or  less  rapidly  disappears  after  single  fits,  but  when  it  results  after 
serial  or  status  periods  in  which  the  fits  are  partial  in  type  and  range, 
the  paralysis  may  be  fully  as  complete  as  that  seen  after  an  apoplectic 
stroke,  and  it  may  remain  more  or  less  marked  for  days  and  weeks. 
In  rare  cases  of  idiopathic  epilepsy  the  paralysis  has  been  known  to 
persist  as  an  anomalous  type  of  hemiplegia.  .  .  .  The  paralysis  is  always 
most  marked  in  those  parts  which  are  engaged  most  in  the  convulsion. 
It  is,  therefore,  an  exhaustion  of  the  cortical  elements ;  in  other  words, 
it  is  a  problem  in  fatigue  of  cortical  elements  and  not  of  muscles  alone. 
It  is  quite  probable  that  the  general  exhaustion  which  follows  general 
fits  and  which  is  covered  by  coma  may  be  analogous  to  the  local  weak- 
ness here  described. — W.  P.  Spratling,  Op.  cit.,  pp.  252-254. 

"The  most  serious  clinical  phase  of  the  cortical  pathology  is  due  to 
the  ultimate  disappearance  of  the  cortical  cells ;  their  destruction  ex- 
plains many  of  the  permanent  symptoms  of  the  disease,  especially  the 
slowness,  awkwardness,  and  incoordination  of  muscle  movements,  and 
the  progressive  mental  failure  (dementia)  which  is  seen  in  so  many 
epileptics.  The  disorder  of  motility  in  chronic  cases  amounts  to  a 
paralysis  in  many  instances.    The  local  and  general  exhaustion  present 


WAS  JOSEPH  SMITH  AN  EPILEPTIC?  391 

after  local  or  general  fits  (especially  seen  in  those  parts  which  participate 
most  in  the  convulsion),  are  true  exhaustion-paralyses  in  type,  congen- 
ers of  paralyses  from  destructive  lesions  of  motor  cells  and  tracts,  but 
the  sluggish,  awkward,  and  incoordinate  movements  present  in  chronic 
epilepsy  are  really  consequent  upon  cell  destruction." — Ibid.  p.  ZZ^. 

Among  the  other  physical  symptoms  mentioned  by  Riley  are 
**  running,"  which  is  often  an  "  equivalent "  of  paroxysms ;  lapses 
of  consciousness,  which  are  characteristic  of  the  graver  forms  of 
seizure;  and  the  fact  that  on  one  occasion,  as  recorded  by  his 
mother,  Smith  dislocated  his  thumb.  He  also  mentions  the  sev- 
eral recorded  fallings-down,  although  carefully  refraining  from 
discussion  of  the  statement,  **  When  I  came  to  myself  again,  I 
found  myself  lying  on  my  back."  This  might  seem  to  suggest  a 
graver  case  of  seizure  than  Riley  can  establish  from  his  "  symp- 
toms." On  the  whole,  the  dislocation  of  the  thumb  is  the  best 
evidence  adduced  in  this  connection,  as  above  suggested.  It  is 
remarkable,  however,  that  the  equally  characteristic  dislocation 
of  the  shoulder  is  nowhere  mentioned  (although  this  is  a  symp- 
tom of  grand  mal),  nor  yet  the  familiar  bitten  tongue.  Such 
matters  if  present  would  probably  have  been  mentioned,  either 
by  Smith  or  his  mother,  whose  ignorance  of  the  characteristic 
marks  of  the  epileptic  need  not  have  been  urged  to  their  discredit. 
As  for  the  bruises  and  contusions,  mentioned  by  Riley  (p.  360) 
as  evidences  of  a  seizure,  it  must  be  insisted  that  their  value  is 
largely  discounted,  in  view  of  the  absence  of  the  other  "  marks  " 
that  should  reasonably  have  been  expected  as  the  results  of  con- 
vulsions of  violence  sufficient  to  result  in  physical  injury. 

On  the  whole,  this  attempt  to  diagnose  a  case  of  epileptic  af- 
fection from  a  few  scattered  symptoms  cannot  be  other  than 
abortive  and  unsatisfactory.  Smith  may  have  had  epileptic 
symptoms  —  may  have  been  an  epileptic  of  some  variety  all  his 
life,  just  as  were  sundry  other  great  and  conspicuous  men,  ac- 
cording to  the  findings  of  our  pathologists  —  but  we  have  not 
seen  it  proved.  If  any  better  evidence  is  needed  than  that  al- 
ready advanced,  we  may  quote  the  words  of  an  authority,  who  is 
still  recognized  among  specialists  in  this  kind  of  malady,  as  fol- 
lows: 

"Epilepsy,  like  paralysis,  is  not  a  morbid  entity  existing  by  itself, 
but  a  manifestation  of  manifold  derangements  disturbing  the  nervous 
system  and  giving  rise  to  definite  inseparate  conditions  —  immediate 
cause  of  the  convulsive  paroxysm  —  that  remain  the  same  whatever 
be  the  occasional  origin  of  the  epilepsy. 

"  No  other  malady  exhibits  a  wider  range  in  its  etiology.  There  is 
scarcely  a  disease  deranging  the  human  frame  in  which  epileptiform 
convulsions  might  not  happen  as  an  accident  or  essential  phenomenon, 
and  it  may  be  safely  set  down  as  a  truth  of  great  importance  that  the 
numerous  conditions  capable  of  inducting  epilepsy  give  to  each  of  its 
species  a  characteristic  impression  that  will  ever  prevent  conforming 


392  THE  REAL  MORMONISM 

their  individual  symptoms  to  any  typical  case,  or  finding  any  specific 
cure  for  every  instance  of  the  disease.  To  establish  the  peculiar  mor- 
bid conditions  influencing  its  development,  to  discriminate  the  general 
from  the  local  circumstances,  in  order  to  arrive  at  a  rational  and  suc- 
cessful treatment,  is  the  fundamental  question  in  the  study  of  epilepsy." 
^-' Echeverria  {Epilepsy,  p.  lo). 

On  the  other  hand,  the  supposition  that  Smith's  recorded  ex- 
periences may  have  been  in  some  sense  actual  occurrences  might 
yield  an  explanation  of  very  many  of  the  physical  and  mental  ef- 
fects recorded  by  him.  Without  wishing  to  incur  the  charge  of 
being  over-credulous,  even  in  these  days  of  "  rationalism,"  when 
all  sorts  of  absurdities  are  eagerly  accepted,  when  labeled  "  scien- 
tific," we  may  state  that  a  vision  of  Gk)d,  or  of  any  other  supernal 
beings,  for  that  matter,  could,  imaginably,  occasion  the  symptoms 
of  fear,  or  some  similar  strong  emotion,  many  of  which  closely 
suggest  some  of  the  leading  effects  described  and  discussed  above. 
Thus,  the  physical  symptoms  of  fear,  for  example,  as  described 
by  several  authorities,  show  many  of  the  elements  already  noted 
and  described  as  characteristic  of  pathological  seizures.  This 
fact  may  be  illustrated  in  the  following  quotation : 

"  Fear  is  often  preceded  by  astonishment,  and  is  so  far  akin  to  it, 
that  both  lead  to  the  senses  of  sight  and  hearing  being  instantly  aroused. 
In  both  cases  the  eyes  and  mouth  are  widely  opened,  and  the  eyebrows 
raised.  The  frightened  man  at  first  stands  like  a  statue,  motionless 
and  breathless,  or  crouches  down  as  if  instinctively  to  escape  observa- 
tion. 

"  The  heart  beats  quickly  and  violently,  so  that  it  palpitates  or  knocks 
against  the  ribs;  but  it  is  very  doubtful  whether  it  then  works  more 
efficiently  than  usual,  so  as  to  send  a  greater  supply  of  blood  to  all 
parts  of  the  body;  for  the  skin  instantly  becomes  pale  as  during  in- 
cipient faintness.  ...  In  connection  with  the  disturbed  action  of  the 
heart,  the  breathing  is  hurried.  The  salivary  glands  act  imperfectly; 
the  mouth  becomes  dry,  and  is  often  open  and  shut.  .  .  .  One  of  the 
best-marked  symptoms  is  the  trembling  of  all  the  muscles  of  the 
body ;  and  this  is  often  first  seen  in^  the  lips.  From  this  cause,  and 
from  the  dryness  of  the  mouth,  the  voice  becomes  husky  or  indistinct  or 
may  altogether  fail.  ...  As  fear  increased  into  an  agony  of  terror,  we 
behold,  as  under  all  violent  emotions,  diversified  results.  The  heart 
beats  wildly  or  must  fail  to  act  and  faintness  ensue;  there  is  a  death- 
like pallor;  the  breathing  is  labored;  the  wings  of  the  nostrils  are 
widely  dilated;  'there  is  a  gasping  and  convulsive  motion  of  the  lips, 
a  tremor  on  the  hollow  cheek,  a  gulping  and  catching  of  the  throat.'  .  .  . 
All  the  muscles  of  the  body  may  become  rigid,  or  may  be  thrown  into 
convulsive  movements. —  Charles  Darwin  {Expression  of  the  Emo- 
tions, pp.  289-292). 

However,  in  commenting  on  the  reflex  effects  brought  about  by 
the  emotions.  Prof.  William  James  remarks : 

"  Were  we  to  go  through  the  whole  list  of  emotions  which  have  been 
named  by  men,  and  study  their  organic  manifestations,  we  should  but 
ring  the  changes  on  the  elements  which  these  three  typical  cases 
(sorrow,  fear  and  hatred)  involve.    Rigidity  of  this  muscle,  relaxation 


WAS  JOSEPH  SMITH  AN  EPILEPTIC?  393 

of  that,  constriction  of  arteries  here,  dilatation  there,  breathing  of  this 
sort  or  of  that,  pulse  slowing  or  quickening,  this  gland  secreting  and 
that  one  dry,  etc.,  etc.  We  should,  moreover,  find  that  our  descrip- 
tions had  no  absolute  truth ;  that  they  only  applied  to  the  average  man ; 
that  every  one  of  us,  almost,  has  some  personal  idiosyncrasy  of  ex- 
pression. .  .  .  Now  the  moment  the  genesis  of  an  emotion  is  accounted 
for,  as  the  arousal  by  an  object  of  a  lot  of  reflex  acts  which  are  forth- 
with felt,  we  immediately  see  why  there  is  no  limit  to  the  number  of 
possible  different  emotions  which  may  exist,  and  why  the  emotions  of 
different  individuals  may  vary  indefinitely,  both  as  to  their  constitution 
and  as  to  objects  which  call  them  forth.  For  there  is  nothing  sacra- 
mental or  eternally  fixed  in  reflex  action.  Any  sort  of  reflex  effect  is 
possible,  and  reflexes  actually  vary  indefinitely,  as  we  know." — Prin- 
ciples of  Psychology,  Vol.  II.,  pp.  447^448;  454. 

In  view  of  the  principles  and  data  set  forth  in  the  above  quota- 
tion, it  may  be  asked  if  any  strong  emotion-reflexes,  produced  by 
some  exceptional  experience,  as  an  exciting  cause,  could  be  called 
upon  to  account  for  such  symptoms  as  are  described  in  the  words 
used  by  Joseph  Smith  in  narrating  the  occurrences  before  and 
during  his  first  vision.  It  is  interesting,  at  any  rate,  to  compare 
some  such  explanation  as  this  with  that  given  in  the  words  of 
Mr.  Riley,  as  quoted  above.  Nor  is  it  out  of  place  to  remind  the 
reader  that  the  expression  of  emotion  in  normal  individuals  im- 
der  exceptional  stimuli,  may  approximate  many  symptoms  of 
pathological  disorders.  Thus,  for  example,  we  hear  of  cases  de- 
scribed with  perfect  accuracy,  so  far  as  the  apparent  symptoms 
are  concerned,  in  which  people  have  been  "  paralyzed  with  hor- 
ror "  or  "terrified  into  a  fit."  Other  "grave  symptoms"  are 
common  in  such  cases. 

In  view  of  the  facts  just  mentioned,  we  must  acknowledge 
that,  even  on  the  theory  that  Smithes  reported  experiences  are 
part  and  parcel  of  a  wholly  fictitious  narrative,  the  details  are  well 
worked  out  —  the  author  of  any  such  fictitious  narrative  must 
have  experienced  deep  and  unusual  emotions  at  some  periods  in 
his  career.  Again,  as  we  shall  see  later,  these  accounts  agree  in 
detail  with  the  effects  recorded  in  connection  with  the  several 
theophanous  visions  of  the  Old  and  New  Testaments.  His  ac- 
counts, if  fictitious,  are  very  well  conceived  as  to  details. 

From  still  another  point  of  view  we  may  judge  of  the  patho- 
logical significance  of  the  events  recorded  by  Smith.  Since  he 
records  with  sufficient  accuracy  to  attract  the  attention  of  Mr. 
Riley  and  other  psychologists,  the  symptoms  attributed  to  patho- 
logical seizure  of  some  kind,  it  is  reasonable  to  assert  that  he 
must  have  been  unaware  that  they  could  indicate  any  such  con- 
ditions as  these  theorizers  assert.  Since,  therefore,  other  strik- . 
ing  symptoms  must  have  been  present  in  a  case  of  epilepsy,  it  is 
surprising  that  we  find  no  mention  of  them  as  a  part  of  the  emo- 


394  THE  REAL  MORMONISM 

tions  liable  to  be  excited  by  theophanous  and  angelic  visions  or 
visitations.  As  indicated  by  Riley,  a  case  involving  such  vivid 
recollections  of  sensory  phenomena  could  not  have  involved  a 
complete  loss  of  consciousness;  consequently  other  events  should 
have  impressed  the  memory  with  similar  vividness.  Further,  a 
case  of  epilepsy  involving,  at  times,  paroxysms  severe  enough  to 
produce  '*  injuries  and  contusions,"  also  thumb  dislocations, 
would  probably  have  involved  convulsions  severe  enough  to  be 
remembered  with  the  other  recorded  symptoms,  along  with  the 
visual  phenomena.  In  other  words,  the  narrator  w6uld  probably 
have  considered  them  essential  parts  of  his  story.  Not  only  does 
he  record  no  such  "  twitchings  and  writhings,"  however,  but,  at 
a  later  period,  he  distinctly  states  that  such  things  are  no  part  of 
the  experiences  of  a  true  prophet  of  God.     Thus : 

"One  great  evil  is,  that  men  are  ignorant  of  the  nature  of  spirits; 
their  power,  laws,  government,  intelligence,  etc.,  and  imagine  that  when 
there  is  anything  like  power,  revelation,  or  vision  manifested,  that 
it  must  be  of  God.  Hence  the  Methodists,  Presbyterians,  and  others 
frequently  possess  a  spirit  that  will  cause  them  to  lie  down,  and  during 
its  operation,  animation  is  frequently  entirely  suspended;  they  con- 
sider it  to  be  the  power  of  God,  and  a  glorious  manifestation  from  God 
—  a  manifestation  of  what?  Is  there  any  intelligence  communicated? 
Are  the  curtains  of  heaven  withdrawn,  or  the  purposes  of  God  de- 
veloped? Have  they  seen  and  conversed  with  an  angel  —  or  have  the 
glories  of  futurity  burst  upon  their  view?  No!  but  their  body  has 
been  inanimate,  the  operation  of  their  spirit  suspended,  and  all  the  in- 
telligence that  can  be  obtained  from  them  when  they  arise,  is  a  shout 
of  'glory'  or  'hallelujah,'  or  some  incoherent  expression;  but  they  have 
had  '  the  power.'  .  .  . 

"  The  *  French  Prophets '  were  possessed  of  a  spirit  that  deceived ;  they 
existed  in  Vivaris  and  Dauphiny,  in  great  numbers  in  the  year  1688; 
there  were  many  boys  and  girls  from  seven  to  twenty-five;  they  had 
strange  fits,  as  in  tremblings  and  faintings,  which  made  them  stretch 
out  their  legs  and  arms,  as  in  a  swoon ;  they  remained  awhile  in  trances, 
and  coming  out  of  them,  uttered  all  that  came  in  their  mouths. 

"  Now  God  never  had  any  prophets  that  acted  in  this  way ;  there  was 
nothing  indecorous  in  the  proceeding  of  the  Lord's  prophets  in  any  age ; 
neither  had  the  apostles,  nor  prophets  in  the  apostles'  day  anything  of 
this  kind.  Paul  says,  *  Ye  may  all  prophesy,  one  by  one ;  and  if  anything 
be  revealed  to  another  let  the  first  hold  his  peace,  for  the  spirit  of  the 
prophets  is  subject  to  the  prophets';  but  here  we  find  that  the  prophets 
are  subject  to  the  spirit,  and,  falling  down,  have  twitchings,  tumblings, 
and  faintings  through  the  influence  of  that  spirit,  being  entirely  under 
its  control.  Paul  says,  'Let  everything  be  done  decently  and  in  order,' 
but  here  we  find  the  greatest  disorder  and  indecency  in  the  conduct  of 
both  men  and  women,  as  above  described.  The  same  rule  would  apply 
to  the  fallings,  twitchings,  swoonings,  shaking,  and  trances  of  many  of 
our  modern  revivalists. —  History  of  the  Church,  Vol.  IV.  pp.  572,  576. 

It  is  noticeable  that  the  speaker  admits  the  validity  of  "  sus- 
pended animation  "  in  true  spiritual  manifestations,  provided,  ap- 
parently, that  it  lead  to  "  intelligence  communicated,"  etc.    As 


WAS  JOSEPH  SMITH  AN  EPILEPTIC?  395 

regards  the  "twitchings,  tumblings,  and  faintings,"  however,  he 
makes  no  such  proviso.  Of  course,  in  any  such  case,  it  is  easy 
to  say  that  a  man  may  falsify  in  suppressing  the  details  not  men- 
tioned, but  why,  then,  should  we  accept  any  of  his  statements  as 
perfectly  accurate  ? 

However,  Mr.  Riley's  "  case  "of  epilepsy,  which  he  himself 
finds  must  have  been  of  a  very  "  inclusive  character,"  and  actually 
so  vague  and  indeterminate  that  he  attempts  no  further  definition 
of  its  symptoms,  beyond  suggesting  that  it  was  principally 
"  psychic,"  is  of  importance  to  the  student  of  Joseph  Smith's  ca- 
reer merely  because  it  contains,  professedly,  an  explanation  of 
Smith's  recorded  visions.  These,  as  already  seen,  he  states  "  may 
be  largely  explained  as  an  ophthalmic  migraine"  (p.  352). 
However,  in  referring  to  a  later  experience,  he  states : 

"  Whether  these  visitations  are  to  be  identified  with  epileptic  seizures 
is  immaterial;  the  point  here  is  that,  as  regards  mental  manifestations, 
*  it  is  undoubtedly  possible  for  an  absolutely  healthy  state  of  mind  to  co- 
exist with  epilepsy.'  Historical  tradition  tells  of  numerous  highly  gifted 
men  who  suffer  from  epilepsy,  and  whose  deeds  do  not  allow  the  recog- 
nition of  any  mental  deterioration." —  Op.  ciL,  pp.  365-366. 

The  real  question  is,  then  not  whether  Smith  suffered  in  youth 
from  an  epileptiform  malady, —  and  such  afflictions  are  much 
more  common  than  one  might  wish  to  think  —  but  as  to  whether 
it  explains  the  visions  which  he  claims  to  have  experienced.  To 
this  latter  question  credible  authorities  on  epilepsy,  as  well  as  Mr. 
Riley  himself,  furnish-  a  rather  conclusive  negative.  We  find  no 
reported  visual  experiences  that  more  than  partially  parallel  those 
described  by  Joseph  Smith,  in  vividness  and  definiteness,  and, 
as  is  fair  to  suppose,  Mr.  Riley  has  also  found  none;  otherwise, 
presumably,  he  would  have  quoted  them. 

However,  as  in  other  points,  curiously  enough,  the  question 
refers  less  to  the  judgment  to  be  passed  on  Joseph  Smith's  case 
than  to  that  which  we  are  to  apply  to  a  far  more  general  situation. 
It  is  briefly  this,  as  to  whether  the  foundations  of  religion  itself 
are  not  laid  in  occurrences  that  may  be  interpreted,  with  the  skill 
and  information  present,  as  in  some  very  real  sense  pathological. 
In  other  words,  since  the  general  characteristics  of  Smith's  re- 
ported visions  are  the  same  as  those  of  other  and  more  ancient 
theophanists,  is  it  admissible  to  claim,  with  Lombroso  and  others, 
that  they  also  were  afflicted  with  grave  maladies?  While  many 
modern  theologians  may  be  willing  to  admit  such  a  conclusion,  it 
must  be  insisted  that  its  assertion  is  a  distinct  presumption  on  the 
all-sufficiency  of  our  present  knowledge  of  matters  psychic  and 
pathological ;  hence  not  to  be  reasonably  considered. 

In  order  to  illustrate  the  ease  with  which  certain  writers  have 
made  out  an  apparently  strong  case,  we  may  quote  Lombroso, 


396  THE  REAL  MORMONISM 

who  in  the  course  of  argument  in  support  of  his  theory  of  the 
*'  epileptoid  nature  of  genius,"  quotes  Renan  on  the  case  of  St. 
Paul,  as  follows: 

"  St.  Paul  was  of  low  stature,  but  stoutly  made.  His  health  was  al- 
ways poor,  on  account  of  a  strange  infirmity  which  he  calls  *  a  thorn  in 
the  flesh,'  and  which  was  probably  a  serious  neurosis. 

"His  moral  character  was  anomalous;  naturally  kind  and  courteous, 
he  became  ferocious  when  excited  by  passion.  In  the  school  of 
Gamaliel,  a  moderate  Pharisee,  he  did  not  learn  moderation;  as  the  en- 
thusiastic leader  of  the  younger  Pharisees,  he  was  among  the  fiercest 
persecutors  of  the  Christians.  .  .  .  Hearing  that  there  was  a  certain 
number  of  disciples  at  Damascus,  he  demanded  of  the  high  priest  a 
warrant  for  arresting  them,  and  left  Jerusalem  in  a  disturbed  state  of 
mind.  On  approaching  the  plain  of  Damascus  at  noon,  he  had  a  seizure, 
evidently  of  an  epileptic  nature,  in  which  he  fell  to  the  ground  un- 
conscious. Soon  after  this,  he  experienced  an  hallucination,  and  saw 
Jesus  himself,  who  said  to  him  in  Hebrew,  *  Paul,  Paul,  why  persecutest 
thou  me  ? '  For  three  days,  seized  with  fever,  he  neither  ate  nor  drank, 
and  saw  the  phantom  of  Ananias,  whom,  as  head  of  the  Christian  com- 
munity, he  had  come  to  arrest,  making  signs  to  him«  The  latter  was 
summoned  to  his  bed,  and  calm  immediately  returned  to  the  spirit  of 
Paul,  who  from  that  day  forward  became  one  of  the  most  fervid 
Christians.  Without  desiring  any  more  special  instruction  —  as  having 
received  a  direct  revelation  from  Christ  himself  —  he  regarded  himself 
as  one  of  the  apostles,  and  acted  as  such,  to  the  enormous  advantage 
of  the  Christians.  The  immense  dangers  occasioned  by  his  haughty  and 
arrogant  spirit  were  compensated  a  thousand  times  over  by  his  bold- 
ness and  originality,  which  would  not  allow  the  Christian  idea  to  remain 
within  the  bounds  of  a  small  association  of  people  *  poor  in  spirit,'  who 
would  have  let  it  die  out  like  Hellenism,  but,  so  to  speak,  steered  boldly 
out  to  sea  with  it.  At  Antioch  he  had  an  hallucination  similar  to  that  of 
Mahomet  at  a  later  period;  he  felt  himself  rapt  into  the  third  heaven, 
where  he  heard  unspeakable  words,  which  it  is  not  lawful  for  a  man  to 
utter." —  The  Man  of  Genius,  pp»  347-348. 

Lombroso,  who  quotes  Renan  in  the  above  passage,  evidently 
with  complete  approval,  does  not  hesitate  to  attempt  an  explana- 
tion of  Christ's  career  on  precisely  similar  principles.  Thus,  as 
they  tell  us,  must  science  shatter  the  opinions  of  the  past  —  the 
"  superstitions,"  presumably.  It  is  a  sad  satire  on  the  sufficiency 
of  the  canons  of  the  "  science  "  followed  by  such  men,  that  Lom- 
broso, in  his  old  age,  became  a  doting  dupe  of  the  crudest  kind  of 
"  spiritistic  "  swindle,  and  found  his  "  faith  in  immortality  "  re- 
newed by  tipping  tables  and  levitated  coal  scuttles.  Why  the 
"  supernatural "  becomes  any  the  more  believable  under  such 
conditions  than  under  others  is  a  question  that  should  invite  an 
answer  from  some  competent  mind. 

In  view  of  the  professed  experiences  of  Joseph  Smith,  as  de- 
scribed above,  and  the  symptoms  and  aurae  of  epileptic  affec- 
tions, as  outlined  in  quotations,  also  given,  it  seems  interesting 
to  note  that  the  correspondences  mentioned  by  Riley  and  others 
apply  with  equal  force  to  far  more  ancient  personages.    Thus, 


WAS  JOSEPH  SMITH  AN  EPILEPTIC?  397 

Abraham,  in  the  course  of  a  theophany,  experiences  "  a  horror 
of  great  darkness"  (Gen.  xv,  12);  Moses  has  a  vision  of  God 
in  the  midst  of  flames,  in  which  *'  the  bush  was  not  consumed  " 
(Exod.  iii,  2)  ;  Elijah  experiences  a  divine  manifestation,  which 
includes  a  "  great  and  strong  wind,"  presumably  attended  with 
noise,  and  "a  fire,"  succeeded  by  a  "still  small  voice"  (I  Kings 
xix,  9-18)  ;  Ezekiel,  on  four  distinct  occasions,  in  the  course  of 
prolonged  visions  of  God  and  heavenly  beings,  records,  "  I  fell 
upon  my  face"  (Ezek.  i,  28;  iii,  23;  xliii,  3;  xliv,  4),  although 
whether  in  obeisance  or  as  one  overcome  is  not  stated ;  John  the 
Revelator  records,  "1  fell  at  his  feet  as  (one)  dead"  (Rev.  i, 
17)  ;  Daniel  also  fell  upon  his  face  at  the  approach  of  Gabriel 
(Dan.  viii,  17);  Jacob,  "left  alone,"  has  an  experience  —  a 
wrestling  with  an  angel  —  which  results  in  the  dislocation  of  his 
thigh.  It  is  notable,  also,  that  in  all  the  greater  visions  recorded 
in  the  Bible  the  elements  of  light  and  color  are  prominent;  also, 
that  the  details  are  most  numerous  and  complex.  In  the  matter 
of  color  perceptions  in  these  visions  and  theophanies,  it  is  inter- 
esting to  notice  that  an  intense  white  is  not  unfamiliar.  Thus, 
for  example,  in  the  account  of  the  transfiguration  of  Christ 
(Matt,  xvii,  2;  Mark  ix,  3),  we  find  mention  of  garments  "  white 
as  the  light"  and  exceeding  white  as  snow;  so  as  no  fuller  on 
earth  can  white  them."  Of  course,  such  data  will  move  many 
theorizers  to  assert  that  the  real  basis  was  some  kind  of  path- 
ologic seizure  in  each  case;  but  it  is  not  too  much  to  say  that 
such  statement  is  a  mere  presumption  on  the  sufficiency  of  our 
present  knowledge  in  every  instance.  It  is  also  perfectly  cer- 
tain that  we  know  nothing  whatever  about  the  conditions  and 
experiences  described;  nor  can  we  assert  with  proof  that  they 
are  impossible;  hence  we  cannot  undertake  to  classify  them.  It 
is  interesting,  however,  to  note  that  the  recorded  experiences, 
criticized  in  certain  quotations  already  given,  agree  in  general 
"  symptoms "  with  those  always  accepted  as  of  exceptional  and 
divine  origin.  It  is  certain  that  the  details  are  correctly  "  worked 
out." 

While  considering  the  epilepsy  theory,  as  set  forth  by  Riley 
and  others  to  explain  the  case  of  Joseph  Smith,  it  must  not  be 
forgotten  that  it  explains  by  no  means  all  the  facts  alleged  by 
Smith,  his  family  and  his  personal  associates.  This  is  true  be- 
cause, while  some  pathologic  seizure  may  be  assumed,  in  order 
to  explain  such  visions,  when  occurring  to  a  person  by  himself, 
they  are  worthless  when  others  in  his  company  testify  that  they 
have  seen  the  same  things  themselves,  and,  further,  persist  in 
their  representations  to  this  effect  until  the  day  of  their  death. 
Thus,  as  recorded  in  the  history  of  Joseph  Smith  and  of  the 


398  THE  REAL  MORMONISM 

Church  founded  by  him,  there  were  several  distinct  visions  of 
angelic  and  divine  personages  experienced  by  Smith,  in  company 
with  others.  Of  such  character  were  the  reported  experiences 
of  the  "  three  witnesses  to  the  Book  of  Mormon,"  who,  as  they 
testify,  and  never  denied,  saw  an  angel,  and  a  glorious  light,  and 
were  shown  the  plates  of  the  Book  of  Mormon ;  the  experiences 
of  Oliver  Cowdery,  who  testifies  that  he  saw  the  glorified  per- 
sonages, "  John  the  Baptist "  and  the  apostles,  *'  Peter,  James 
and  John";  finally,  the  other  visions  in  the  Kirtland  Temple, 
shared  by  this  same  person  and  by  Sidney  Rigdon. 

The  only  excuse  for  considering  the  epileptic  theory  at  such 
length  is  that  it  has  been  adopted  as  a  convenient  explanation  of 
Smith  and  Mormonism  by  several  writers  and  works  of  reference 
that  have  the  attention  of  the  public.  Apart  from  this  fact,  the 
theory  is  worthless,  both  because  its  original  promulgator  knows 
little  or  nothing  of  the  conditions  and  facts  of  epileptic  and 
epileptoid  affections,  also  because,  in  these  same  affections,  there 
is  such  a  wide  range  of  uncertainty  and  misunderstanding,  both 
as  regards  symptoms  and  as  regards  conclusive  diagnosis.  In- 
deed, it  may  be  safely  said,  no  careful  physician  would  venture  to 
label  a  given  case  epileptic  until  he  had  had  opportunity  to  ob- 
serve the  patient.  Although  the  theory  of  genius  and  epilepsy, 
advocated  by  Lombroso  and  others,  is  regarded  with  interest  in 
some  quarters,  it  is  universally  agreed,  apparently,  that  works  of 
real  worth  produced  by  persons,  supposed  to  have  been  affected, 
were  not  produced  in  the  epileptic  condition,  but  rather  in  spite 
of  it.  Nor  would  there  be  serious  opposition  to  the  statement 
that  a  stage  of  such  a  disease  sufficiently  advanced  to  have  definite 
serious  symptoms  would  preclude  the  production  of  great  and 
lasting  works  of  any  description.  In  this  connection  we  may 
compare  the  fatuity  of  a  paranoid,  such  as  Rienzi,  with  the 
achievements  of  Joseph  Smith:  clever  writers  and  theorizers  are 
still  trying  to  explain  Joseph  Smith.  The  following  statements 
from  Dr.  Charles  L.  Dana,  a  noted  alienist,  are  of  interest : 

"True  epilepsy  is  not  compatible  with  extraordinary  intellectual  en- 
dowments.   Caesar,    Napoleon,    Peter    the    Great,    and    other    geniuses 
may  have  had   some   symptomatic  fits,  but  not  idiopathic  epilepsy." — 
Text  Book  of  Nervous  Diseases,  3d  edition,  p.  408. 
Joseph  Smith's  works  were  all  well-reasoned,  persistent  and 
able,  worthy  the  serious  attention,  as  we  have  seen,  of  informed 
minds.     They  are  as  incompatible  with  the  theory  that  he  was  de- 
ranged as  they  are  with  the  equally  unjustified  theory  that  he 
was  an  habitual  drunkard.     Judging  him  by  the  writings,  ora- 
tions and  practical  works  of  organization  and  thought  which  he 
has  left  us,  he  was  evidently  neither  the  one  nor  the  other. 


WAS  JOSEPH  SMITH  AN  EPILEPTIC?  399 

Whatever  may  be  the  actual  truth  about  any  of  the  matters 
recorded  by  Joseph  Smith  and  his  associates,  the  fact  remains 
that,  in  the  insufficient  state  of  human  knowledge  regarding  all 
things  divorced  from  the  sphere  of  verifiable  experience,  it  is 
the  duty  of  any  critic  professing  to  be  fair  and  intelligent  to 
give  careful  and  respectful  attention  to  any  professed  experi- 
ences of  people,  not  evidently  insane,  and  to  refrain  from  con- 
fident assertions  that  such  experiences  are  completely  explained 
on  "  rationalistic  "  grounds,  so  called,  until  something  more  than 
the  vague  theories  of  psychological  experimenters  can  be  invoked 
in  support  of  our  conclusions.  (And  do  not  our  psychologists 
do  this  very  thing  in  the  case  of  spiritistic  "mediums"?)  Al- 
though, as  is  familiar,  the  average  feeble  brain  of  the  present 
day  supinely  accepts  the  assurances  of  our  rationalistic  dreamers 
that  there  is  certainly  no  possibility  of  a  supernatural  super- 
stratum in  the  universe,  it  remains  true,  nevertheless,  that  the 
belief  in  such  is  sufficiently  fundamental  and  persistent  in  human 
history  and  experience  to  be  classed,  very  nearly,  among  the  in- 
stincts, or  "  innate  ideas "  of  the  mind.  Without  the  element 
of  the  supernatural,  no  valid  system  of  religion  has  ever  been 
founded,  and  even  where  the  supernatural  traditions  have  been 
discountenanced,  we  find  that  the  "  most  active  minds  "  eagerly 
seek  consolation  in  the  newer  forms  of  "  spiritual  philosophy," 
in  travestied  Buddhism  and  Brahmanism,  as  well  as  in  spiritistic 
"assurances  of  a  future  life."  How  else  shall  we  explain  the 
large  number  of  prominent  experimental  scientists  —  physicists, 
astronomers,  zoologists,  and  others  —  who  have  openly  declared 
their  allegiance  to  the  "  doctrine  of  spirit-return "  ?  On  the 
other  hand,  many  persons,  still  firmly  favorable  to  inherited  tra- 
ditions, will  assert  that  all  claims  to  visions,  theophanies,  miracu- 
lous gifts,  and  the  like,  made  at  the  present  day,  must  be  falla- 
cious; such  things  belonging  wholly  to  the  past,  and  not  to  be 
tolerated  as  possibilities  now.  While,  as  rational  and  honest 
beings,  we  cannot  deny  the  possibility  of  the  supernatural,  we 
must  insist  that  a  belief  in  its  manifestations  involves  no  neces- 
sary time  limits ;  nor  are  we  possessed  of  any  sure  rules  for  dis- 
criminating the  true  from  the  false  manifestation,  nor  stating 
that,  as  applied  to  the  cases  of  certain  persons,  such  things  can- 
not be  assumed,  even  tentatively,  as  an  explanation. 


CHAPTER  XXVII 

DID  SOLOMON  SPAULDING  WRITE  THE  BOOK  OF  MORMON? 

The  Spaulding  authorship  theory,  briefly  stated,  involves  that 
the  Book  of  Mormon  was  written  in  toto,  with  the  probable  ex- 
ception, as  stated,  of  the  "  religious  portions,"  by  a  certain  Rev. 
Solomon  Spaulding,  who  had  at  one  time  been  a  Presbyterian 
minister,  but  later  was  engaged  in  business  of  several  descrip- 
tions, first  in  New  York  state,  later  in  Ohio.  As  related,  his 
several  business  ventures  were  by  no  means  successful,  and  he 
made  an  effort,  desperate  as  it  must  seem,  to  retrieve  his  fortunes 
and  pay  his  numerous  debts,  by  writing  novels.  At  least  one 
such  story  has  been  attributed  to  him,  bearing  the  title.  The 
Manuscript  Found,  in  which,  on  the  basis  of  the  alleged  trans- 
lation of  a  parchment  manuscript,  discovered,  professedly,  by 
the  author  of  the  book,  the  reader  is  given  an  account  of  certain 
prehistoric  nations  of  the  western  hemisphere.  The  alleged 
identifications  of  this  production  —  or  some  other  —  of  Spauld- 
ing's  with  the  Book  of  Mormon  is  based  upon  the  same  line  of 
poorly-conceived  "  testimony "  as  that  which  supposedly  estab- 
lishes the  worthless  character  of  Smith's  family  and  of  himself. 
We  have  seen,  already,  how  inconclusive  and  irrelevant  are  these 
latter  "  evidences."  We  shall  see  how  extremely  inconclusive 
are  the  former  also. 

According  to  accepted  accounts,  Spaulding  died  in  1816,  four- 
teen years  before  the  publication  of  the  Book  of  Mormon,  with- 
out having  published  any  of  his  writings.  It  is  evident,  there- 
fore, that  he  was  not  so  conspicuous  a  figure  in  literature  that 
the  Book  of  Mormon,  or  any  other  production,  could  be  properly 
identified  as  his,  by  comparison  of  literary  style,  diction  or  other 
marks  recognized  as  evidences  of  authorship.  Furthermore,  in 
order  to  estabHsh  a  "  line  of  descent "  for  this  theory,  by  which 
its  sufficiency  and  credibility  may  be  established,  it  is  only  fair 
to  say  that  it  was  first  promulgated  by  a  certain  E.  D.  Howe,  in 
his  book  Mormonism  Unveiled,  in  which  he  enlarges  on  every 
possible  presumption  of  "  evidence  "  and  allegation  that  may  be 
urged  against  the  system  attacked.    In  this  effort,  he  presents 

400 


THE  SPAULDING  AUTHORSHIP  THEORY      401 

a  lot  of  affidavits,  alleged  to  have  been  made  by  numerous  old 
neighbors,  relatives  and  former  associates  of  Mr.  Spaulding, 
evidently  considering  them  competent  to  establish  the  contention 
that  the  Book  of  Mormon  was  Spaulding's  Manuscript  Found, 
which  had  been  lost  for  nearly  twenty  years.  Other  anti-Mor- 
mon writers  have  reproduced  Howe's  documents  with  sundry 
additions,  and  they  still  form  the  basis  of  the  popular  attacks  on 
Mormonism.  The  story,  as  given  by  the  alleged  "  testimonies  " 
of  these  numerous  witnesses,  is  as  follows: 

Sometime  in  1834  a  Mormon  missionary  was  conducting  a 
meeting  at  Conneaut,  Ohio,  the  former  home  of  Solomon  Spauld- 
ing, and,  in  the  course  of  his  exercise,  read  some  portions  of  the 
Book  of  Mormon.  As  it  happened,  a  brother  of  Solomon 
Spaulding,  by  name  John  Spaulding,  was  present,  and,  accord- 
ing to  the  story,  "  recognized  perfectly  the  work  of  his  brother 
.  .  .  was  annoyed  and  afflicted,  that  it  should  have  been  per- 
verted to  so  wicked  a  purpose,"  and  **  his  grief  found  vent  in  a 
flood  of  tears."  Forthwith,  this  gentleman,  blessed  with  a  sin- 
gularly retentive  memory  and  keen  sensibilities,  "  arose  on  the 
spot  and  expressed  to  the  meeting  his  sorrow  and  regret  that  the 
writings  of  his  deceased  brother  should  be  used  for  a  purpose  so 
vile  and  shocking."  As  a  sequel  to  this  dramatic  occurrence,  as 
alleged,  a  meeting  of  citizens  was  held,  both  to  voice  their  indig- 
nation and  to  set  right  the  memory  of  the  late  Mr.  Spaulding, 
with  the  result  that  a  certain  Dr.  Philastus  Hurlburt  was  de- 
puted to  visit  the  widow  of  Spaulding,  then  remarried  to  a  Mr. 
Davidson,  and  obtain  the  "  original  manuscript "  of  the  book,  in 
order  that  it  might  be  printed,  together  with  the  usual  host  of 
affidavits,  to  prove  Solomon  Spaulding  its  true  author. 

Now,  as  the  reader  may  note  in  this  account,  there  are  two 
elements  of  the  exceptional,  to  say  the  least:  first,  that  the 
memories  of  John  Spaulding  and  other  neighbors,  could  be  so  re-^ 
tentive  as  to  "  recognize  perfectly  "  extracts  read  to  them  from 
a  manuscript  book  over  twenty  years  before,  and,  second,  that 
they  should  also  remember,  with  equal  perfection,  that  Mr. 
Spaulding  had  made  two  manuscripts  of  his  book.  That  Hurl- 
burt actually  visited  Mrs.  Davidson  seems  to  be  an  admitted  fact, 
but  that  he  was  deputed  by  a  mass  meeting  of  indignant  citizens 
is  not  so  clear.  He  was  himself  a  former  believer  in  Smith's 
teachings,  and,  like  all  apostate  Mormons,  a  victim  of  monu- 
mental bitterness  against  his  former  associates  and  co-religion- 
ists. Furthermore,  it  has  been  claimed  that  he  was  himself  the 
author  of  Mormonism  Unveiled,  for  the  production  of  which  he 
used  the  name  of  his  printer,  E.  D.  Howe.  That  he  did  not 
obtain  the  "  duplicate "  of   Spaulding's  manuscript,  as  he  ex- 


402  THE  REAL  MORMONISM 

pected,  seems  now  to  be  an  established  fact,  as  we  shall  see  later. 
Nevertheless,  the  book  written  by  himself,  or  Howe,  asserts  with 
the  greatest  confidence  that  such  a  **  duplicate  "  must  have  ex- 
isted, and  that  Spaulding  must  have  written  the  Book  of  Mor- 
mon. 

The  evidence  for  this  confidently-urged  contention  is  embodied 
in  affidavits  from  numerous  people,  to  the  following  general  ef- 
fects :  John  Spaulding  testifies  that  his  brother  had  written  "  a 
historical  romance  of  the  first  settlers  of  America,  and  endeav- 
ored to  show  that  the  American  Indians  are  the  descendants  of 
the  Jews,  or  the  Ten  Lost  Tribes."  Mrs.  John  Spaulding  is 
similarly  quoted  as  saying  that  she  had  heard  her  brother-in-law. 
read  from  his  manuscript  story  in  1810,  and  that  **  He  was  then 
writing  a  historical  novel  founded  on  the  first  settlers  of  Amer- 
ica. .  .  .  He  had  for  many  years  contended  that  the  aborigines 
of  America  were  the  descendants  of  some  of  the  lost  tribes  of 
Israel;  and  this  idea  he  carried  out  in  the  book  in  question." 
Mrs.  Spaulding  then  continues: 

"The  lapse  of  time  which  has  intervened  prevents  my  recollecting 
but  few  of  the  leading  incidents  of  his  writings ;  but  the  names  Lehi  and 
Nephi  are  yet  fresh  in  my  memory  as  being  the  principal  heroes  of 
his  tale.  They  were  officers  of  the  company  which  first  came  off  from 
Jerusalem.  He  gave  a  particular  account  of  their  journey  by  land  and 
by  sea,  till  they  arrived  in  America,  after  which  disputes  arose  be- 
tween the  chiefs,  which  caused  them  to  separate  into  bands,  one  of 
which  was  called  Lamanites,  the  other  Nephites.  Between  these  were 
recounted  tremendous  battles,  which  frequently  covered  the  ground  with 
slain  and  these  being  buried  in  large  heaps,  was  the  cause  of  the  many 
mounds  in  the  country.  Some  of  these  people  he  represents  as  being 
very  large." 

To  very  similar  effect  is  the  affidavit  attributed  to  a  certain 
Henry  Lake,  a  "  business  partner  "  of  Spaulding's : 

"  Solomon  Spaulding  frequently  read  to  me  from  a  manuscript  which 
he  was  writing,  which  he  entitled  the  Manuscript  Found,  and  which 
he  represented  as  having  found  in  this  town  (Conneaut,  Ohio).  I  spent 
many  hours  in  hearing  him  read  said  writings,  and  became  well  ac- 
quainted with  their  contents.  The  book  represented  the  American  In- 
dians as  being  the  descendants  of  the  Lost  Tribes  of  Israel,  and  gave  an 
account  of  their  having  left  Jerusalem,  and  of  their  contentions  and 
wars,  which  were  many  and  great.  I  remember  telling  Mr.  Spaulding 
that  so  frequent  use  of  the  words :  *  And  it  came  to  pass,*  *  Now  it 
came  to  pass,'  rendered  the  book  ridiculous." 

Affidavits  are  also  given  of  persons  named  Aaron  Wright, 
Oliver  Smith,  Artemus  Cunningham  and  John  N.  Miller,  who 
testify  that  Spaulding  had  been  writing  a  romance  based  on  the 
ideas  that  the  inhabitants  of  America  were  descended  from  cer- 
tain emigrants  from  Jerusalem.  Two  of  them  relate  also  that 
they  distinctly  remembered  the  names  Nephi  and  Lehi,  which 


THE  SPAULDING  AUTHORSHIP  THEORY      403 

seem  to  be  the  only  ones  of  all  the  peculiar  Book  of  Mormon 
names  that  are  recollected  by  most  of  the  witnesses  quoted. 
There  are  others,  much  more  striking  and  unusual,  which  might 
reasonably  have  been  remembered  by  some  of  those  who  had 
heard  the  entire  book  read,  if,  indeed,  it  was  the  Book  of  Mor- 
mon that  they  heard. 

Other  friends  of  Mr.  Spaulding  are  similarly  quoted  in  affi- 
davits, as,  for  example,  a  certain  Joseph  Miller  of  Amity,  Penn- 
sylvania, who  is  quoted  as  saying : 

"  Some  time  ago  I  heard  most  of  the  Book  of  Mormon  read.  On 
hearing  read  the  account  of  the  battle  between  the  Amlicites  (Alma, 
Chap,  ii),  in  which  the  soldiers  of  one  army  placed  a  red  mark  on  their 
foreheads,  to  distinguish  them  from  their  enemies,  it  seemed  to  repro- 
duce in  my  mind  not  only  the  narrative  but  the  very  words,  as  they  had 
been  imprinted  on  my  mind  by  reading  Spaulding's  manuscript." 

Similarly,  another  friend  of   Spaulding's,  a  certain  Ruddick  ^ 
McKee  of  Washington,  D.  C,  states: 

"I  have  an  indistinct  recollection  of  the  passage  referred  to  by  Mr. 
Miller,  about  the  Amlicites  making  a  cross  with  red  paint  in  their  fore- 
heads to  distinguish  them  from  their  enemies  in  the  confusion  of  bat- 
tle." 

Among  the  other  most  highly  esteemed  "  testimonies  "  are  al- 
leged affidavits  from  Spaulding's  daughter  Martha,  later  Mrs. 
McKinstry.     She  is  made  to  state : 

"  My  father  read  the  manuscript  I  had  seen  him  writing  to  the  neigh- 
bors and  to  a  clergyman,  a  friend  of  his,  who  came  to  visit  him.  Some 
of  the  names  he  mentioned  while  reading  to  the  people  I  have  never 
forgotten.  They  are  as  fresh  in  my  memory  as  though  I  had  heard 
them  but  yesterday.  They  are  Mormon,  Moroni,  Lamanite  and  Nephi, 
etc.,  etc." 

Similarly,  a  certain  Abner  Johnson  of  Canton,  Ohio,  relates 
as  follows: 

"  Spaulding  frequently  read  his  manuscript  to  the  neighbors  and  com- 
mented on  it  as  he  progressed.  He  wrote  it  in  Bible  style.  *  And  it  came 
to  pass '  occurred  so  often  that  some  called  him  *  Old  Come-to-pass.' 
The  names  Mormon,  Moroni,  Nephi,  Nephite,  Laman,  Lamanite,  etc., 
were  in  it.  The  closing  scene  was  at  Cumorah,  where  all  the  righteous 
were  slain." 

As  will  be  noticed,  there  is  a  "  singular  unanimity  "  among 
these  witnesses,  which  is  usually  relied  upon  as  complete  evidence 
of  their  truthfulness.  In  such  a  case,  however,  this  very 
"  unanimity "  is  a  distinctly  suspicious  circumstance.  As  the 
reader  will  notice,  several  of  these  alleged  affidavits  seem  to 
have  been  prepared  by  one  person,  and  while  most  of  them  re- 
iterate the  recollection  of  the  names  of  Lehi,  Nephi,  Lamanite, 
etc.,  and  no  others  whatever,  precisely  as  if  their  affirmations 
had  been  given  in  answer  to  direct  questions  as  to  whether  such 
names  occurred  to  their  memories,  four  of  them,  alleged  to  have 


404 


THE  REAL  MORMONISM 


been  given  by  relatives  and  close  friends  of  Spaulding  (to  wit, 
John  Spaulding,  his  wife,  Henry  Lake  and  Aaron  Wright),  state 
that  the  aborigines  of  America  were  represented  by  Spaulding  as 
descendants  of  "  some  of  the  Lost  Tribes  of  Israel,"  *'  the  Ten 
Lost  Tribes,"  etc.,  which  is  a  matter  utterly  foreign  to  anything 
taught  or  expressed  in  the  Book  of  Mormon,  from  beginning  to 
end.  Such  statement,  however,  forms  the  substance  of  a  theory 
of  the  origin  of  these  people,  which  is  upheld  by  several  writers, 
notable  among  them  a  certain  James  Adair,  a  trader  among  the 
Indians  and  observer  of  their  habits,  who  in  1775  issued  his  book 
History  of  the  American  Indians,  basing  his  theory  on  alleged 
resemblances  in  language,  customs,  etc.,  between  the  Indians  and 
the  Jews.  It  would  be  difficult  indeed  to  argue  that  anyone, 
making  such  an  erroneous  statement  as  this  about  the  contents 
of  a  book  under  discussion,  could  be  credited  with  a  memory  of 
names  sufficiently  vivid  to  constitute  a  complete  identification. 
Several  others  of  these  "  witnesses,"  also,  testify  that  Spauld- 
ing's  professed  object  was  to  account  for  the  great  mounds  and 
other  aboriginal  works  found  in  various  parts  of  America. 
Thus,  from  several  of  these  "  affidavits  "  we  have  the  following 
statements : 

"  They  buried  their  dead  in  large  heaps  which  caused  the  mounds  so 
common  in  this  country.  Their  arts,  sciences  and  civilization  were  all 
brought  into  view,  in  order  to  account  for  all  the  curious  antiquities 
found  in  various  parts  of  Northern  and  Southern  America."  (John 
Spaulding)  ;  "He  told  me  his  object  was  to  account  for  the  fortifica- 
tions, etc.,  that  were  to  be  found  in  this  country,  and  said  that  in  time, 
it  would  be  fully  believed  by  all  except  learned  men  and  historians." 
(Aaron  Wright)  ;  "  He  said  he  intended  to  .  .  .  give  an  account  of  their 
arts,  sciences,  civilization,  laws,  and  contentions.  In  this  way  he  would 
give  a  satisfactory  account  of  all  the  old  mounds,  so  common  in  this 
country."  (Oliver  Smith);  "In  conversation  with  Solomon  Spaulding 
I  expressed  my  surprise  that  we  had  no  account  of  the  people  once  in 
this  country,  who  erected  the  old  forts,  mounds,  etc.  He  told  me  that 
he  was  writing  a  history  of  that  people."     (Nahum  Howard). 

If,  as  these  and  others  have  alleged,  Spaulding  wrote  a  book 
with  the  object  of  accounting  for  the  mounds,  forts,  etc.,  to  be 
found  in  various  parts  of  the  United  States,  as,  for  example,  in 
Ohio,  it  is  quite  certain  that  some  book  other  than  the 
Book  of  Mormon,  in  its  present  form,  at  least,  is  intended  by 
them,  or  else  that  the  author  became  so  interested  in  the  devel- 
opment of  his  narrative  that  this  main  "object"  entirely  slipped 
his  attention.  No  such  "  object "  is  in  any  sense  apparent  in  the 
Book  of  Mormon,  as  may  be  discovered  readily  by  any  investi- 
gator. 

In  another  point  do  the  alleged  "  affidavits "  purporting  to 
connect  Mr.  Spaulding  with  the  Book  of  Mormon  seem  to  fail 


THE  SPAULDING  AUTHORSHIP  THEORY      405 

of  their  object.  This  is  in  the  statement  that  the  "  historical 
portions "  of  the  book  are  by  Spaulding,  while  the  "  reHgious 
portions  "  have  evidently  been  added  by  another  hand.  Thus  we 
have  such  alleged  statements  of  old  friends  of  Spaulding  to  the 
following  effects : 

"  I  have  examined  the  Book  of  Mormon  and  have  no  hesitation  in  say- 
ing that  the  historical  part  of  it  is  principally,  if  not  wholly,  taken  from 
the  Manuscript  Found"  (Henry  Lake);  "I  have  examined  the  Book 
of  Mormon,  and  I  find  in  it  the  writings  of  Solomon  Spaulding  from  be- 
ginning to  end,  but  mixed  up  with  Scripture  and  other  religious  matter, 
which  I  did  not  meet  in  the  Manuscript  Found"  (J.  N.  Miller);  "I 
have  read  the  Book  of  Mormon  and  believe  it  to  be  the  same  as  Spauld-  . 
ing  wrote,  except  the  religious  part"  (Nahum  Howard)  ;  "I  have  ex- 
amined the  Mormon  Bible  and  am  fully  of  the  opinion  that  Solomon 
Spaulding  had  written  its  outlines  before  leaving  Conneaut "  (Artemus 
Cunningham). 

One  need  be  suspected  of  no  over-powering  partiality  for  Mor- 
monism,  or  for  Joseph  Smith  or  any  of  his  claims,  to  insist  that 
such  statements  as  the  above  are  certainly  *'  inspired."  It  is 
curious  to  what  lengths  of  falsehood  and  downright  imbecility 
people  will  go  in  the  effort  to  ruin  or  discredit,  if  possible,  some- 
one whom  they  happen  to  dislike.  As  if  in  evidence  of  the  essen- 
tial unrighteousness  of  such  an  attitude,  however,  we  find  usually 
that  such  persons  will  over-reach  themselves,  to  the  discrediting 
of  their  claims.  Never  has  this  fact  been  better  exemplified 
than  in  the  present  instance.  If,  as  seems  now  an  established 
fact,  Solomon  Spaulding  actually  wrote  a  romance  of  ancient 
America  —  several,  as  some  tell  us  —  it  is  very  certain  that 
neither  Sidney  Rigdon,  nor  anyone  else  worked  that  novel  over 
into  an  alleged  revelation  from  God,  by  the  addition  of  a  "  re- 
ligious element,"  not  present  in  Spaulding's  story,  as  these  wit- 
nesses are  made  to  state.  Nor  is  there  any  possibility  that  such 
a  statement  can  be  contradicted,  since  a  mere  casual  reading  of 
the  Book  of  Mormon  will  convince  any  capable  editor  that  the 
religious  portions  are  as  much  a  part  of  the  whole,  as  are  similar^ 
parts  and  passages  in  the  Old  Testament.  There  is  scarcely  a 
page  in  the  entire  book  that  does  not  contain  passages  and  refer- 
ences of  a  distinctly  and  consistently  religious  character.  In- 
deed, to  assume  that  these  are  to  be  omitted  to  bring  the  book 
to  the  form  in  which  it  left  the  hands  of  its  "  author  "  means  to 
emasculate  every  episode  and  to  change  the  story  into  something 
so  utterly  different  that  even  the  "  old  neighbors  "  and  lachry- 
mose relatives  of  the  Rev.  Solomon  Spaulding  must  claim  as 
great  skill  in  literary  criticism  as  we  are  asked  to  believe  was 
possessed  by  Sidney  Rigdon  in  the  capacity  of  editor. 

As  a  matter  of  fact,  as  seems  evident  on  this  analysis  of  the 
"  testimony  "  of  these  various  persons,  the  real  facts  in  the  case 


4o6  THE  REAL  MORMONISM 

seem  to  be  that,  with  the  publication  of  the  Book  of  Mormon, 
and  the  disputes  and  antagonisms  that  followed  it,  numerous 
people  in  the  neighborhood  of  Conneaut,  Ohio,  and  elsewhere, 
former  friends  of  Mr.  Spaulding,  remarked  that  he  had  once 
written  a  romance  of  ancient  America.  It  is  not  improbable, 
also,  that  several  of  them  might  have  suggested  that  the  Book 
of  Mormon  was  merely  this  manuscript  in  print  at  last.  Such 
a  rumor  coming  to  the  ears  of  such  men  as  Hurlburt,  who  had 
been  dismissed  from  the  Mormon  Church,  for  alleged  **  immoral 
conduct,"  and  E.  D.  Howe,  who  was,  as  we  are  informed,  an- 
.noyed  because  his  wife  and  daughter  had  joined  this  church, 
constituted  a  temptation  far  too  strong  to  be  resisted  that  the 
story  should  be  elaborated  and  given  definite  shape,  as  a  real 
weapon  for  opposing,  and,  if  possible,  destroying  Mormonism. 
Thus,  although  they  could  find  many  who  could  remember 
Spaulding  and  his  book,  they  undoubtedly  put  into  their  mouths 
many  things  that  had  nothing  to  do  with  either  the  Manuscript 
Found,  or  the  Book  of  Mormon.  Among  these,  as  we  have  seen, 
were  the  allegations  relating  to  the  "  Lost  Ten  Tribes."  The 
names,  Nephi,  Lehi,  Mormon,  etc.,  were  evidently  suggested  to 
these  "  witnesses,"  and  then  "  remembered  "  by  them,  as  seems 
fairly  evident  when  we  consider  that  these  few,  and  no  others, 
are  mentioned  by  and  among  the  witnesses  "  testifying."  In 
this  matter  of  names  it  certainly  seems  strange  that  none  of  these 
people  seem  to  have  remembered  that  Nephi,  whom  they  recall 
so  distinctly,  had  a  brother  called  Sam,  whose  name  has  attracted 
the  notice  and  excited  the  ridicule  of  such  critics  as  the  Rev. 
Mr.  Lamb,  and  several  others  professing  a  knowledge  of  Hebrew 
and  Biblical  names.  This  "  English  nickname,"  as  Mr.  Lamb 
calls  it,  was  certainly  quite  as  startling  a  feature  as  the  phrase 
**  It  came  to  pass." 

In  addition  to  all  these  matters,  it  is  nothing  short  of  absurd 
to  allege  that  so  many  people  as  are  quoted  on  this  point  could 
have  had  a  sufficiently  distinct  recollection  of  a  book  that  had 
been  read  to  them  at  a  time  twenty  or  twenty-five  years  before 
the  giving  of  their  "  testimony  "  to  be  able  positively  to  identify 
it,  when  seen  in  print.  Seeming  to  realize  some  such  difficulty, 
one  bitter  and  determined  opponent  of  Mormonism,  a  certain 
Rev.  C.  Braden,  resorts  to  the  time-worn  "  character  test,"  in  an 
attempt  to  justify  the  "  testimony "  of  these  witnesses.  He 
says: 

"  Let  us  view  the  evidence  we  have  presented,  and  settle  several 
questions.  I.  Are  the  witnesses  competent?  II.  Are  they  worthy  of 
belief?  III.  What  is  estabHshed  by  their  testimony?  In  determining 
the  first  and  second  queries  there  are  several  points  to  be  weighed.  I. 
Is  the  point  at  issue  one  that  can  be  settled  by  testimony?    No  ques- 


THE  SPAULDING  AUTHORSHIP  THEORY      407 

tion  is  susceptible  of  clearer  proof.  The  facts  to  be  determined  are: 
I.  Did  Solomon  Spaulding  write  a  certain  MS?  What  were  its  con- 
tents? II.  Did  they  have  adequate  means  of  knowing  these  facts? 
No  witnesses  ever  had  better.  Mr.  Spaulding  was  a  preacher  in  poor 
health  and  out  of  employment,  the  very  man  who  would  attract  com- 
pany, and  of  the  highest  character  and  intelligence.  There  was  much 
excitement  and  curiosity  over  certain  mounds  that  had  been  opened. 
Spaulding  had  taken  great  interest  in  the  matter.  He  was  writing  an 
unusual  book  concerning  this  exciting  topic.  He  was  very  fond  of 
reading  his  productions  to  all  who  would  listen  to  him.  All  this  would 
secure  him  a  circle  of  intelligent  hearers.  The  singularity  of  his  theme 
would  cause  his  hearers  to  remember  what  they  heard.  To  such  hear- 
ers Spaulding  read  large  portions  of  his  MS.  IH.  Were  they  com- 
petent in  intelligence?  N*o  one  can  read  their  testimony  and  fail  to  see 
that  they  were  persons  of  unusual  intelligence  —  the  very  class  of  per- 
sons that  such  a  man  as  Spaulding  would  attract  around  him  —  that 
would  be  interested  in  his  theme  —  the  very  ones  to  whom  he  would 
read  his  work  —  and  who  would  talk  with  him.  IV.  Were  they  per- 
sons of  good  character  for  truth  and  veracity?  Their  character  can- 
not be  excelled.  Compare  them  with  the  gang  of  loafing,  money-hunt- 
ang  knaves  and  dupes,  upon  whose  testimony  the  Book  of  Mormon 
stands.  Their  intelligence  is  infinitely  above  that  gang  of  ignorant, 
.•superstitious,  illiterate  ignoramuses.  .  .  .  Never  were  witnesses  more  in- 
dependent and  individual  in  their  testimony.  Each  tells  his  story  in  his 
«own  way  —  is  careful  to  tell  no  more  —  is  careful  where  not  certain 
^to  say  so.  Had  they  fabricated  their  testimony  they  would  have  stated 
more  than  they  did."—  The  Bracten  and  Kelley  Debate,  p.  65. 
In  order  to  exalt  still  more  the  character  of  these  witnesses, 
who,  as  the  chosen  friends  of  "  a  preacher,  in  poor  health  and 
<out  of  employment,"  must  not  be  allov^ed  to  tarry  under  any 
•cloud  of  suspicion,  Mr.  Braden  makes  the  following  sharp  an- 
tithesis : 

"  Contrast  their  evidence  with  that  of  the  eight  witnesses  to  the  Book 
of   Mormon.    These   witnesses   do   not   testify   separately,   but   sign   a 
statement  prepared  for  them.  .  .  .  They  testified  to  what  they  did  not 
know,  ancTcould  not  know.    There  is  every  evidence  of  collusion  and 
perjury.    The  three  witnesses  are  worse,  for  they  testify  to  what  an 
angel  told  them."     [This  is  undoubtedly  a  most  serious  breach  of  good 
manners!]     "The  character  of  the  entire  twelve  has  been  impeached. 
They  had  every  motive  to  induce  them  to  lie.    They  had  concocted  a 
fraud  to  make  money  and  lied  to  carry  it  out.    Our  witnesses  are  ab- 
solutely free  from  all  such  fatal  defects  as  those  that  utterly  destroy 
the  evidence  of  the  witnesses  to  the  Book  of  Mormon." — Ibid. 
While  it  is  highly  unnecessary  to  attempt  to  blacken  the  char- 
acter of  "  Mr.  Braden's  witnesses,"  about  whom  neither  he  nor 
any  of  the  rest  of  us  knows  anything  more  than  that  some  of 
them  probably  existed  somewhere,  and  at  some  period,  it  is  only 
necessary  to  reiterate  that  they  were  evidently  laboring  under 
several  serious  misapprehensions,  as  already  indicated,  and  that 
even    their    impeccable    characters    and    the    friendship    of    a 
"  preacher,  in  poor  health  "  can  not  suffice  to  guarantee  the  evi- 
dence based  on  recollections,  evidently  so  faulty  in  several  par- 


4o8  THE  REAL  MORMONISM 

ticulars.  As  a  matter  of  fact,  the  phrase,  "  And  it  came  to 
pass,"  is  the.  only  element  in  the  collective  testimony  of  these 
people  that  possesses  any  semblance  of  presumption  that  they 
might  have  heard  or  read  the  Book  of  Mormon  previous  to  its 
publication.  This  seems  rather  meagre  evidence  upon  which  to 
rear  the  fabric  of  the  Spaulding  authorship  of  this  book.  Taken 
with  the  other  things  alleged  by  them,  it  is  worthless. 

Allowing,  however,  that  there  is  any  basis  in  fact  or  allega- 
tion for  the  Spaulding  theory,  there  is  still  a  difficulty  in  ex- 
plaining the  process  by  which  this  manuscript  came  into  the  hands 
of  Joseph  Smith,  and  as  to  what  was  the  real  motive  behind  the 
publication  of  it  as  a  new  revelation.  There  is,  to  be  sure,  a  the- 
ory on  the  subject,  which  has  been  industriously  elaborated  by 
numerous  anti-Mormon  writers,  and  confidently  presented  by 
them  as  an  established  fact.  It  is  a  ''  weird  tale,"  however,  and, 
if  related  as  explanation  of  any  matter  in  which  common  sense 
had  ever  had  an  opportunity  to  shape  opinions,  it  would  be 
classed,  without  hesitation,  among  the  "  things  that  do  not  hap- 
pen." 

According  to  the  first  version  of  this  story,  the  manuscript  of 
Spaulding's  Manuscript  Found  had  been  left  with  a  Pittsburg 
printer  by  the  name  of  Patterson,  who,  as  related,  had  consented 
to  print  it,  "  as  soon  as  Mr.  Spaulding  wrote  a  title  page  and 
preface."  While  waiting  for  these  essential  elements  of  a  real 
book,  which  seem  to  have  been  beyond  the  ingenuity  of  this 
"  preacher  in  poor  health,"  the  manuscript  was  allowed  to  lie 
nakedly  and  accessibly  around  the  office,  in  such  convenient 
places  that  an  "  utterly  unscrupulous  person,"  such  as  Sidney 
Rigdon,  then  slightly  over  twenty  years  of  age,  and  already 
filled,  seemingly,  with  high  hopes  and  great  ambitions,  could 
easily  find,  read,  become  interested  in,  copy,  or  purloin  it,  and 
thus  supply  himself  with  the  indispensable  and  pre-ordained  in- 
strument for  ''  setting  the  whole  world  by  the  ears."  At  first 
Rigdon  was  confidently  declared  to  have  been  an  apprentice  of 
Patterson's;  later,  on  disproof  of  this  statement,  an  apprentice 
in  a  neighboring  tannery,  who  spent  so  much  of  his  employer's 
time  '*  loafing  about  Patterson's  printery  " —  there  seems  to  have 
been  a  prodigious  amount  of  *'  loafing "  done  in  the  course  of 
founding  Mormonism  —  that  there  were  serious  complaints  ut- 
tered. It  is  supposed,  moreover  confidently  asserted,  that  in  the 
course  of  these  "  loafing  expeditions,"  Rigdon  either  copied  or 
stole  the  priceless  manuscript,  thus  robbing  the  unfortunate 
Spaulding  of  the  fruits  of  his  years  of  toil,  and  really  contribut- 
ing to  his  untimely  death,  at  the  age  of  fifty-five.  All  this  shows, 
of  course,  the  exceptional  "  heartlessness  "  and  "  selfish  indiff er- 


THE  SPAULDING  AUTHORSHIP  THEORY      409 

ence  to  human  rights  "  that  are  at  the  base  of  the  Mormon  move- 
ment. It  proves  too  much,  however,  as  do  all  the  *'  evidences  " 
in  this  matter;  since  it  is  exceptional,  to  say  the  least,  that  an 
unlettered  youth  of  about  twenty  years  of  age  should  so  highly 
esteem  a  manuscript  story  that  he  would  copy  or  steal  and  pre- 
serve it  either  for  rereading,  or  on  the  theory,  apparently,  that 
it  might  be  useful  —  later. 

This  entire  story  seems  to  have  been  founded  on  a  statement 
published  in  the  Boston  Recorder  in  May,  1839,  over  the  name  ^ 
of  Mrs.  Davidson  (formerly  Spaulding's  widow),  but  subse- 
quently traced  to  a  certain  Rev.  D.  R.  Austin.  It  is  another 
example  of  confident  overstatement,  quite  worthy  to  rank  with 
the  other  "  affidavits,"  so  familiar  in  the  Mormon  "  controversy," 
as  may  be  understood  by  any  candid  mind,  not  blinded  by  this 
absurd  anti-Mormon  prejudice.     It  is  partly  as  follows: 

"  Mr.  Spaulding  found  a  friend  and  acquaintance  in  the  person  of  Mr. 
Patterson,  who  was  very  much  pleased  with  it  (the  manuscript),  and 
borrowed  it  for  perusal.  He  retained  it  for  a  long  time,  and  informed 
Mr.  Spaulding  that,  if  he  would  make  out  a  title  page  and  preface,  he 
would  pubHsh  it,  as  it  might  be  a  source  of  profit.  This  Mr.  Spaulding 
refused  to  do.  Sidney  Rigdon,  who  has  figured  so  largely  in  the  history  j 
of  the  Mormons,  was  at  that  time  connected  with  the  printing  office 
of  Mr.  Patterson,  as  is  well  known  in  that  region,  and,  as  Rigdon 
himself  had  frequently  stated,  became  acquainted  with  Mr.  Spaulding's 
manuscript  and  copied  it.  It  was  a  matter  of  notoriety  and  interest  to 
all  connected  with  the  printing  establishment.  At  length  the  manuscript 
was  returned  to  its  author,  and  soon  after  he  removed  to  Amity,  where 
Mr.  Spaulding  died  in  1816.  The  manuscript  then  fell  into  my  hands, 
and  was  carefully  preserved." 

As  is  scarcely  remarkable,  Mrs.  Davidson  immediately  denied  ^ 
having  written  this  **  affidavit,"  and  discredited  many  of  its  state- 
ments. Mr.  Rigdon  also  addressed  a  letter  to  this  newspaper, 
denying  all  knowledge  of  Spaulding,  and  stating  that  there  was 
no  printer  named  Patterson  in  Pittsburg,  during  his  residence 
there.  He  also  repeatedly  denied  the  allegations  of  this  story, 
asserting  his  firm  belief  in  the  "  divine  authenticity "  of  the 
Book  of  Mormon  until  the  very  day  of  his  death.  Nevertheless, 
as  with  all  the  persons  connected  with  early  Mormon  history, 
Rigdon's  alleged  activities  can  be  explained  only  by  the  theory  of 
a  superlatively  bad  character.  He  must  have  been  a  thief,  they 
say,  since  the  theory  demands  it;  therefore,  he  must  have  been 
a  liar  also.  Of  course,  a  man  who  could  conceive  and  carry  out 
so  preposterous  a  plot  as  is  ascribed  to  him  could  be  expected  to 
do  or  say  almost  anything.  Thus,  in  the  development  of  the 
Spaulding  manuscript  romance,  we  are  faced  with  the  usual  line 
of  gossiping  affidavits  from  a  horde  of  utterly  unknown,  but,  as 
we  are  assured,  entirely  impeccable  personages,  who  seem  to 


410  THE  REAL  MORMONISM 

have  had  unusually  numerous  opportunities  to  spy  upon  the 
secretive  Sidney,  and  find  out  precisely  what  he  was  intending 
to  do  years  before  it  was  ever  done.  Among  such,  a  certain 
Rev.  John  Winter,  M.D.,  is  quoted  as  stating  that  Rigdon  had 
shown  him  a  manuscript  "  history  of  the  American  Indians  '*  in 
1822  or  1823,  stating  that  it  had  been  written  by  "  one  Spauld- 
ing,  a  Presbyterian  preacher  whose  health  had  failed,"  and  that 
he  (Rigdon)  '*  had  borrowed  it  from  the  printer  as  a  curiosity." 

•  Another  alleged  affidavit,  which  is  presented  by  Braden  in  the 
above-quoted  debate  with  E.  L.  Kelley,  is  even  more  amusingly 
absurd,  both  in  its  anachronisms  and  local  inconsistencies.  Thus 
a  certain  James  Jeffries,  who  was,  of  course,  "  an  old  and  highly 
respected  citizen "  of  Churchville,  Hartford  County,  Maryland, 
is  said  to  have  uttered  an  affidavit  in  January,  1884,  deposing  as 
follows : 

"  Forty  years  ago  I  was  in  business  in  St.  Louis.  The  Mormons  then 
had  their  temple  in  Nauvoo,  Illinois.  I  had  business  transactions  with 
them.  I  knew  Sidney  Rigdon.  He  acted  as  general  manager  of  the 
business  of  the  Mormons  (with  me).  Rigdon  told  me  several  times  in 
his  conversation  with  me,  that  there  was  in  the  printing  office  with  which 
he  was  connected  in  Ohio,  a  MS.  of  the  Rev.  Spaulding,  tracing  the  origin 
^  of  the  Indians  from  the  lost  tribes  of  Israel.  This  MS.  was  in  the  office 
for  several  years.  He  was  familiar  with  it.  Spaulding  wanted  it  pub- 
lished but  had  not  the  means  to  pay  for  printing.  He  (Rigdon)  and 
Joe  Smith  used  to  look  over  the  MS.  and  read  it  on  Sundays.  Rigdon 
said  Smith  took  the  MS.  and  said  '  I'll  print  it,'  and  went  off  to  Palmyra, 
New  York." 

In  spite  of  the  strong  presumption  evident  in  this  writing  that 
this  "  old  and  highly  respected  citizen  "  had,  in  the  course  of 
years,  confused  his  conversations  with  Rigdon  with  the  numerous 
reports  circulated  about  him  and  his  doings  —  thus  he  transfers 
the  ''printing  office"  from  Pittsburg  to  Ohio — Mr.  Braden 
comments  as  follows: 

"  *  Forty  years  ago '  would  be  in  the  fall  of  1844,  just  after  Rigdon  had 
been  driven  out  of  Nauvoo.  The  Times  and  Seasons  assailed  him  bitterly, 
that  fall  and  winter,  for  exposing  Mormonism.    On  his  way  from  Nauvoo 

•  to  Pittsburg,  he  called  on  his  old  acquaintance,  Mr.  Jeffries,  in  St.  Louis, 
and,  in  his  anger  at  the  Mormons,  he  let  out  the  secrets  of  Mormonism, 
just  as  he  told  the  Mormons  he  would,  if  they  did  not  make  him  their 
leader."—  B.  and  K.  Debate,  p.  42. 

Although  it  is  unnecessary  to  repeat  many  of  these  alleged  tes- 
timonies, quoted  in  support  of  Rigdon's  complicity  in  the  assumed 
purloining  and  revamping  of  a  manuscript  by  Solomon  Spauld- 
ing, it  is  really  astounding  to  observe  the  lengths  and  depths  of 
improbability  and  absurdity  to  which  the  enemies  of  Mormonism 
will  go,  in  their  effort  to  uphold  a  theory  which  is  essentially 
absurd  and  inconsistent.    Thus,  a  certain  Mrs.  A.  Dunlap  of 


THE  SPAULDING  AUTHORSHIP  THEORY      411 

Warren,  Ohio,  as  quoted  by  Braden,  "  deposeth  and  saith  "  that 
she  was  a  niece  of  Rigdon,  and  while  visiting  at  his  house: 

"  That  in  her  presence  her  uncle  went  into  his  bedroom  and  took  from 
a  trunk  which  he  kept  carefully  locked  a  manuscript,  and  came  back, 
seated  himself  by  the  fire,  and  began  to  read.  His  wife  came  into  the 
room  and  exclaimed :  *  What,  you  are  studying  that  thing  again  ?  I  mean 
to  burn  that  paper.'  Rigdon  replied :  *  No  indeed  you  will  not.  This 
will  be  a  great  thing  some  day.'  When  he  was  reading  this  manuscript 
he  was  so  completely  occupied  that  he  seemed  entirely  unconscious  of 
anything  around  him." — Ibid.  p.  45. 

Of  course,  no  other  manuscript  than  that  by  Spaulding  could 
possibly  interest  Mr.  Rigdon  to  the  extent  described,  but  the 
public  does  not  know  that,  and  can  hardly  be  expected  to  accept 
it,  without  competent  demonstration.  Similarly  inconclusive  are 
the  testimonies  of  some  of  his  former  associates,  clerical  and 
otherwise,  among  them  Alexander  Campbell,  A.  Bently,  a  cer- 
tain Z.  Rudolph  and  his  brother  John,  a  certain  Almon  Green, 
and  others,  that  for  several  years  previous  to  the  publication  of 
the  Book  of  Mormon  he  had  been  preaching  Millennarianism, 
Christian  communism,  and  other  "  advanced  ideas,"  and  had  even 
mentioned  that  primitive  pure  Christianity  should  soon  be  re- 
stored. All  these  matters  were  then  in  course  of  agitation,  par- 
ticularly the  "  restored  primitive  Christianity,"  which  was  the 
leading  inspiration  of  the  Campbellite  sect.  The  additional  fact 
that  certain  of  these  persons  "  distinctly  remember  "  that  Rigdon 
had  also  mingled  with  his  teachings  on  these  matters  certain  re- 
marks about  "  gold  plates  "  and  "  ancient  records  "  may  be  at- 
tributed to  precisely  such  a  confusion  of  event  and  rumor  as  is 
seen  in  the  **  testimony "  of  Mr.  Jeffries,  above  quoted,  and 
which  is  more  or  less  inevitable  in  all  attempts,  even  of  honest 
persons,  to  recall  happenings  and  conversations  many  years  in 
the  past.  The  fact  is  that  merely  incidental  occurrences  and 
conversations,  as  they  must  have  seemed  at  the  time,  positively 
cannot  be  recalled  by  anyone  with  complete  accuracy,  after  a 
long  lapse  of  years.  To  claim  that  it  has  been  done  by  certain 
persons,  because  of  their  "  undoubted  veracity,"  is  merely  to 
perpetrate  still  further  absurdities,  as  we  have  seen  already. 

Furthermore,  as  would  be  expected,  we  are  not  without  good 
presimiptive  evidence  that  the  most  ordinary  remarks,  displaying 
mere  interest  in  passing  questions  or  issues,  have  been,  in  some 
cases,  constructed  into  all  kinds  of  "  complete  confessions  "  of  a 
plot  to  hoax  the  public  into  a  vital  faith  in  religion.  Thus,  as 
confidently  quoted  by  the  same  trenchant  debater  above  named, 
we  have  the  following  "  testimony  "  from  another  person  whose 
word  had  "  never  been  impeached."     This  is  a  certain  Darwin 


412  THE  REAL  MORMONISM 

Atwater,  said  to  have  resided  in  Mantua,  Ohio,  who  testifies 
thus: 

"  Sidney  Rigdon  preached  for  us  when  the  Mormon  defection  came 
on  us,  and  notwithstanding  his  extraordinary  wild  freaks,  he  was  held 
in  high  repute  by  many.  For  a  few  months  before  his  pretended  con- 
version to  Mormonism,  it  was  noted  that  his  wild  extravagant  propensi- 
ties had  been  more  marked.  That  he  knew  beforehand  of  the  coming  of 
the  Book  of  Mormon  is  to  me  certain,  from  what  he  had  said  during  the 
first  of  his  visits  to  my  father's  some  years  before  (in  1826).  He  gave 
a  wonderful  description  of  the  mounds  and  other  antiquities  found  in 
some  parts  of  America,  and  said  that  they  must  have  been  made  by 
the  aborigines.  He  said  that  there  was  a  book  to  be  published  con- 
taining an  account  of  these  things.  He  spoke  of  them  in  his  eloquent, 
enthusiastic  style,  as  being  a  thing  most  extraordinary.  Though  a  youth 
I  took  him  to  task  for  expending  so  much  enthusiasm  on  such  a  subject, 
instead  of  the  things  of  the  Gospel.  In  all  my  intercourse  with  him 
afterwards  he  never  spoke  of  the  antiquities  or  of  the  wonderful  book 
that  should  give  an  account  of  them,  till  the  Book  of  Mormon  was 
really  published.  He  must  have  thought  that  I  was  not  the  man  to 
reveal  to." — Ibid.  p.  45. 

Very  probably  the  principal  difference  between  this  gentleman 
and  the  others  quoted  with  such  confidence  by  the  Spauldingites 
is  that,  as  it  seems,  he  had  a  clearer  and  better  memory  of  pre- 
cisely what  occurred.  However,  as  was  once  said  of  another, 
and  far  more  famous,  gentleman  bearing  the  name  of  Darwin, 
he  is  a  "  poor  logician,"  as  is  shown,  apparently,  by  his  confident 
conclusion  that  Rigdon's  enthusiasm  about  American  antiquities 
revealed  his  knowledge  of  the  Book  of  Mormon,  previous  to  its 
publication.  No  one  interested  to  reason  fairly  on  the  matter 
would  consider  such  "  testimony  "  competent  to  prove  anything 
of  the  kind.  Taken  in  connection  with  other  statements,  how- 
ever, it  may  be  held  to  suggest  strongly  that  Rigdon  was  at  this 
period  much  interested  in  antiquities,  and  in  speculations  on  the 
identity  of  the  people  whose  existence  they  evidence.  Any  such 
interest  argues  no  knowledge  of  Mr.  Spaulding  or  his  ultra- 
famous  manuscript,  since  the  subject  was  then,  as  now,  a  live 
one,  and  had  been  discussed  by  numerous  writers.  It  is  not 
impossible,  also,  that,  following  the  lead  of  Adair,  and  several 
others  before  and  after  his  day,  he  inclined  to  the  belief  that  the 
Indians  were  actually  the  descendants  of  Jewish  ancestors,  the 
"  Ten  Lost  Tribes,"  for  example.  Any  such  interest  would  move 
him  to  give  the  reported  immediate  attention  to  the  Book  of 
Mormon,  when  presented  to  him,  as  recorded,  by  Parley  P.  Pratt. 
Nor  would  his  conversion  be  at  all  improbable  under  these  very 
conditions.  However,  his  mention  of  a  "  book  to  be  published 
containing  an  account  of  these  things  "  is  no  very  evident  refer- 
ence to  the  Book  of  Mormon,  which  contains  no  such  account, 
except  in  the  most  general  and  incidental  fashion. 


THE  SPAULDING  AUTHORSHIP  THEORY      413 

The  assumption  that  Rigdon,  like  many  other  intelligent  men 
of  his  section  at  the  time,  was  interested  in  the  antiquities,  so 
common  around  them,  and  in  the  fashion  prevalent  in  the  early 
years  of  the  nineteenth  century,  explains  perfectly  his  reported 
conversation  with  Alexander  Campbell  and  A.  Bently,  his 
brother-in-law.  As  given  by  the  gentleman  quoted  above,  this 
"  testimony  "  is  to  the  following  effect : 

"The  conversation  alluded  to  in  Brother  Bently's  letter  [Millenial 
Harbinger,  1844,  p.  39]  was  in  my  presence,  as  well  as  his.  My  recollec- 
tion of  it  led  me,  some  two  or  three  years  ago,  to  interrogate  Bro. 
Bently  concerning  his  recollections  of  it.  They  accorded  with  mine  in 
every  particular,  except  in  regard  to  the  year  in  which  it  occurred.  He 
placed  it  in  the  summer  of  1827.  I  placed  it  in  the  summer  of  1826. 
Rigdon,  at  the  same  time,  observed  that  on  the  plates  dug  up  in  New 
York,  there  was  an  account,  not  only  of  the  aborigines  of  this  con- 
tinent, but  it  was  stated  also  that  the  Christian  religion  had  been 
preached,  during  the  first  century,  just  as  we  were  then  preaching  it  on 
the  Western  Reserve." — Ibid.  p.  45. 

Even  if  we  admit,  however,  that  Rigdon^s  knowledge  of  the 
Spaulding  manuscript  is  established,  and  that  he  may  have  edited 
it  into  the  form  now  known  as  the  Book  of  Mormon,  the  diffi- 
culties are  by  no  means  exhausted.  The  method  of  publication 
alleged  to  have  been  adopted  by  him  is  about  as  idiotic  and  pre- 
posterous as  could  be  imagined  by  a  sane  man.  Nor  is  there  the 
slightest  intelligible  reason  for  supposing  that  any  such  line  of 
conduct  was  followed ;  nor  would  any  intelligent  person  think  of 
crediting  the  "  evidence  "  upon  which  it  is  based,  were  it  not  for 
the  popular  sentiment  that  "  it  must  be  true ;  therefore  is  true." 

Briefly  stated,  the  situation  is  about  as  follows:  Mr.  Rigdon, 
an  ambitious,  impetuous,  irascible,  and,  otherwise  violent  man, 
filled  with  high  thoughts  and  big  ambitions,  a  subject  of  enthusi- 
asms, as  suggested  by  the  remarks  of  sundry  friends,  as  quoted 
above,  becomes  possessed  by  some  means,  fair  or  foul,  of  a  manu- 
script purporting  to  deal  with  the  history  of  pre-Columbian 
America,  and  asserting  that  the  aborigines  of  this  continent  are 
descendants  of  the  Hebrew  race.  To  this  manuscript  he  adds 
certain  "  religious  matter,"  with  the  intention  of  eventually  foist- 
ing it  upon  the  public  as  an  inspired  record.  With  such  a  man 
as  Rigdon  is  represented  to  have  been,  previous  to  his  identifica- 
tion with  the  Mormon  Church,  there  is  no  just  reason  for  assum- 
ing that  his  alleged  intention  of  pubHshing  any  such  book  as  the 
one  in  question  was  other  than  to  give  currency  to  the  teachings 
embodied  in  it.  H  he  was  really  its  editor  and  reviser,  it  is  per- 
fectly evident  that  he  conceived  and  executed  the  "  religious  por- 
tions "  with  a  very  fair  show  of  conviction  as  to  their  sufficient 
truth.  Had  his  intention  been  merely  "  to  make  money,"  he 
could  not  have  been  ignorant  of  the   fact  that  the   ordinary 


414  THE  REAL  MORMONISM 

methods  of  publication  provide  far  better  promise  of  good  profits 
than  any  such  eccentric  and  unprecedented  scheme  as  he  is  sup- 
posed to  have  adopted.  Evidently  his  enemies  are  not  satisfied 
with  making  him  out  a  scoundrel:  they  must  also  prove  him  to 
have  been  a  fool.  The  theory  that  Rigdon,  in  his  feverish  de- 
sire to  "  get  the  book  published  somehow,"  turned  the  precious 
manuscript  over  to  an  unknown  and  unlettered  youth  of  bad 
reputation,  as  alleged,  who  resided  in  a  back-woods  hamlet  some 
two  hundred  miles  away  from  his  own  home,  and  allowed  him  to 
print  and  publish  it  with  credit  as  "  author  and  proprietor,"  is 
precisely  the  sort  of  thing  that  would  be  labeled  "  ridiculous,"  if 
proposed  as  explanation  in  any  other  connection  whatsoever. 

The  situation  is  ably  expressed  in  the  words  of  Prof.  Nelson, 
as  above  quoted.  In  commenting  on  the  lame  and  prejudiced 
theory  advanced  by  William  A.  Linn,  in  his  attempted  revamp- 
ing of  the  Spaulding  hypothesis,  he  writes: 

"  Mr.  Rigdon  must,  moreover,  be  supplied  with  a  motive  for  stealing 
it  [the  Spaulding  manuscript] :  This  motive  Mr.  Linn  finds  in  a  deep- 
laid  plot  by  Rigdon  to  start  a  new  religion,  in  order  to  get  revenge  on 
the  *  Campbells,'  who  got  all  the  glory  for  founding  the  Disciple  or 
Campbellite  Church  —  a  glory  which  Rigdon  should  have  shared. 

"  Rigdon  must  next  have  been  attracted  —  somehow  —  to  Joseph  Smith 
as  the  very  man  to  become  the  prophet  of  the  new  dispensation.  Ac- 
cordingly he  makes  Rigdon  prepare  the  copy  of  the  Book  of  Mormon  by 
injecting  into  the  'other*  Spaulding's  manuscript  [there  are  supposed  to 
have  been  several,  as  will  be  explained  later]  the  religious  dogmas  of  the 
Campbellites,  and  then  makes  him  take  it  by  installments  to  Joseph 
Smith;  who,  hid  behind  a  screen,  dictates  it  to  a  scribe,  quite  according 
to  the  verified  account  of  its  coming  forth.  Rigdon  thereby  becomes 
the  *  mysterious  visitor,'  seen  entering  and  leaving  Joseph's  house  oc- 
casionally, in  the  early  accounts  by  the  Prophet's  neighbors. 

"  But  now  come  two  difficulties.  The  first  is  that  Rigdon,  whose 
motive  for  theft  and  forgery  was  to  get  even  with  the  Campbells  for 
robbing  him  of  glory,  consents  nevertheless  to  play  second  fiddle  to 
Joseph  Smith  and  to  be  *  snubbed  and  ill-treated '  by  the  very  tool  of 
his  successful  villainy.  Mr.  Linn  sees  in  the  latter  fact  some  deep 
mysterious  power  which  the  younger  man  exercised  over  the  older, — 
quite  in  the  dime-novel  fashion.  The  other  difficulty  is  the  very  con- 
sistent, logical,  undeviating  account  by  Joseph  Smith  of  each  succes- 
sive event  in  the  coming  forth  of  the  Book  of  Mormon.  But  this  nar- 
rative, Mr.  Linn  points  out,  was  not  written  till  1838,  ten  years  after 
the  translation  of  the  Book  of  Mormon,  and  seven  years  after  Sidney 
Rigdon  joined  the  Church  —  time  enough  for  the  arch-plotter  Rigdon 
to  make  the  invention  smooth  and  plausible!" — The  Mormon  Point  of 
View,  pp.  160-162. 

Although,  as  would  be  amply  acknowledged  in  any  other  con- 
nection, there  is  not  even  "  circumstantial  evidence "  that  Rig- 
don ever  saw  or  read  any  manuscript  book  of  Solomon  Spauld- 
ing, much  less  purloined  such  —  even  if  possessed  of  prophetic 
foresight  of  his  "  row  "  with  the  Campbells  twelve  or  fourteen 


THE  SPAULDING  AUTHORSHIP  THEORY      415 

years  later — for  he  must  have  stolen  the  manuscript  previous 
to  1816,  if  at  all  —  there  is  no  reason  whatever  for  assuming 
that  he  ever  saw  or  heard  of  Joseph  Smith,  previous  to  the  pub- 
lication of  the  Book  of  Mormon  and  the  organization  of  the 
Mormon  Church.  We  have  only  gossiping  and  evidently  ''  in- 
spired "  statements  of  utterly  unknown  people  for  assuming  the 
main  acts  alleged  in  either  case.  If  he  really  stole  this  famous 
screed,  how  did  he  happen  to  do  it,  and  why?  If  he  turned  it 
over  to  Joseph  Smith  for  publication  and  exploitation,  how  did 
he  happen  to  do  it,  and  why?  If  he  had  happened  to  have  ap- 
proached Prof.  Anthon,  for  example,  with  a  proposition  to  "  go 
into  the  scheme,"  and  been  "  indignantly  repulsed,"  it  might 
have  been  said  that  he  had  "  aimed  too  high,"  but  when  he 
chooses  as  his  confederate  a  man  whose  conditions  of  life  would 
scarcely  have  marked  him  as  a  "  likely  "  accomplice,  he  seems  to 
have  come  dangerously  near  to  risking  the  safety  of  his  entire 
alleged  project.  To  be  sure,  it  has  been  stated  by  various  in- 
genious persons  that  Parley  P.  Pratt,  an  early  friend  of  Rig- 
don's  and  the  agent  of  his  conversion  to  Mormonism,  according 
to  accepted  accounts,  had  made  the  acquaintance  of  Smith,  dur- 
ing some  of  his  wanderings  over  New  York  state,  and  had  men- 
tioned him  to  the  "  arch-conspirator "  as  a  possible  accomplice. 
This  solution  of  the  "  difficulty  "  may  be  correct,  although  there 
is  not  a  shred  of  proof  to  support  it,  but  the  question  naturally 
occurs  as  to  why,  supposing  that  Pratt  was  entirely  in  Rigdon's 
confidence,  he  did  not  himself  essay  the  role  of  **  prophet."  His 
personality  and  educational  equipment  were  certainly  competent 
to  the  task,  and  his  subsequent  services  to  Mormonism,  ending  in 
his  murder  —  this  was  in  "  revenge  "  for  a  crime  of  which  a  jury 
had  already  acquitted  him  —  suggest  that,  if  "  in  the  plot,"  he 
would  have  carried  out  the  character  to  the  end. 

However,  because,  by  the  Spaulding  theory,  Rigdon,  Smith, 
Pratt,  and  all  their  associates,  must  be  made  out  a  gang  of 
criminal  lunatics,  not  to  say  imbeciles,  Rigdon  is  represented  as 
doing  everything  precisely  contrary  to  reason  and  common  sense. 
Thus,  in  the  carrying-out  of  his  absurd  plot,  he  is  represented  as 
having  exposed  himself  repeatedly  to  the  spying  eyes  of  neigh- 
borhood gossips,  all  of  whom,  so  it  seems,  were  perfectly  familiar 
with  his  appearance,  name  and  reputation.  His  indiscretion  in 
this  particular  is  embalmed  in  another  series  of  "affidavits," 
which  profess  to  identify  him  with  a  certain  "  mysterious 
stranger"  often  seen  around  Smith's  residence  —  although  in 
this  instance,  at  least,  these  deponents  fail  to  specify  the  *'  loaf- 
ing," characteristic,  apparently,  of  all  of  Smith's  other  associates. 
Thus,  as  though  no  one  living  in  a  country  town  can  be  allowed 


4i6  THE  REAL  MORMONISM 

to  have  visitors  unknown  to  his  idle-minded  neighbors,  anti-Mor- 
mon writers  habitually  insult  the  intelligence  of  the  public  by 
serving  up  a  line  of  alleged  affidavits,  embodying  nothing  what- 
ever but  vile  and  gratuitous  rural  gossip.     Nor  is  this  to  be 
said  because  one  objects  to  considering  real  evidence  against 
Mormonism,  Smith,  Rigdon,  or  anything  or  any  person  what- 
soever, beside,  but  because  the  usual  line  of  anti-Mormon  accusa- 
tion involves  such  nonsense,  lies,  slanders,  and  downright  in- 
decency, that,  without  the  popular  prejudice  against  this  Church 
and  people,  one  naturally  concludes  that  we  have  to  deal  with 
simple  "  false  witness,"  and  nothing  else.     Thus,  we  may  quote 
passages  from  one  of  the  most  abusive  of  anti-Mormon  books : 
"A  mysterious  stranger  now  appears  at  Smith's  residence  and  holds 
private  interviews  with  the  far-famed  money-digger.     For  a  consider- 
able length  of  time  no  intimation  of  the  name  or  purpose  of  this  per- 
sonage transpired  to  the  public,  nor  even  to  Smith's  nearest  neighbors. 
It  was  observed  by  some  of  them  that  his  visits  were  frequently  re- 
peated.   The  sequel  of  these  private  interviews  between  the  stranger 
and  the  money-digger  will  sufficiently  appear  hereafter.  .  .  .  The  reap- 
pearance of  the  mysterious  stranger  at  Smith's  was  again  the  subject  of 
inquiry  and  conjecture  by  observers,  from  whom  was  withheld  all  ex- 
planation of  his  identity  or  purpose.  ...  Up  to  this  time  Sidney  Rigdon 
had   played  his   part   in  the  background,   and   his   occasional  visits   at 
Smith's  residence  had  been  noticed  by  uninitiated  observers  as  those  of 
the  mysterious  stranger.     It  had  been  his  policy  to  remain  in  conceal- 
ment until  all  things  should  be  in  readiness  for  blowing  the  trumpet  of 
the  new  gospel." — Pomeroy  Tucker  {The  Origin,  Rise  and  Progress  of 
Mormonism),  pp.  28,  46,  75-76. 

The  allegations  included  in  these  passages  make  a  very  "  good 
story,"  but  it  is  not  so  certain  that  they  are  worthy  the  considera- 
tion that  has  been  accorded  them  hitherto.  The  Smith  family 
may  have  entertained  a  "  mysterious  stranger "  at  frequent  in- 
tervals —  indeed,  for  all  that  can  be  said  to  the  contrary,  dozens 
of  "  mysterious  strangers  " —  and  they  may  have  declined  to 
gratify  the  vulgar  curiosity  of  their  neighbors,  who  inquired  as 
to  his  identity.  It  is  unnecessary,  however,  to  make  their  re- 
fusal of  this  request  appear  as  contumacy,  in  declining  to  answer 
"  perfectly  reasonable  questions."  Nevertheless,  the  public  is 
still  assured  that  the  acquaintance  between  Smith  and  Rigdon, 
previous  to  the  appearance  of  the  Book  of  Mormon,  is  an  estab- 
lished fact  of  history.  Upon  such  ''  testimonies  "  as  the  follow- 
ing, however,  is  this  contention  presumably  established.  Thus, 
as  quoted  by  Braden  and  others,  we  learn  that  a  certain  Mrs. 
Eaton,  "wife  of  Horace  Eaton,  D.D.,  for  thirty-two  years  a 
resident  of  Palmyra,"  deposed  as  follows : 

"  Early  in  the  summer  of  1827  a  mysterious  stranger  seeks  admission 
to  Joe  Smith's  cabin.  The  conferences  of  the  two  are  most  private. 
This  person  whose  coming  immediately  preceded  a  new  departure  in 


THE  SPAULDING  AUTHORSHIP  THEORY      417 

the  faith  was  Sidney  Rigdon,  a  backslidden  clergyman,  then  a  Camp- 
bellite  preacher  in  Mentor,  Ohio." 

Whether  or  not,  as  the  wording  of  this  document  might  sug- 
gest, the  calling  of  a  *'  Campbellite  preacher  "  is  a  suitable  occu- 
pation for  a  "  backslidden  clergyman,"  it  seems  fairly  evident 
that  her  husband's  degree  of  D.D.  so  far  establishes  the  pre- 
sumption of  this  lady's  veracity  that  no  one  has  ever  considered 
it  necessary  to  ask  how  it  was  that  she  knew  this  "  mysterious 
stranger  "  to  have  been  Sidney  Rigdon,  any  more  than  how  she 
knew  that  "  this  person  "  held  "  most  private  '*  conferences  with 
Smith.  There  is  altogether  too  much  of  the  atmosphere  of  gos- 
sip about  this  statement  to  allow  it  any  evidential  value.  Nor 
was  Sidney  Rigdon  in  any  sense  so  striking  a  man  in  appearance 
that  he  could  readily  be  picked  out  of  a  crowd,  and  identified  as 
the  very  "mysterious  stranger,"  about  whose  identity  all  the 
neighborhood  gossips  about  Palmyra  had  been  worrying  their 
brains  for  several  years.  Rigdon  was,  if  his  portrait  correctly 
represents  him,  a  rather  *' ordinary-looking "  person,  who  wore 
the  familiar  chin  and  cheek  whiskers,  with  the  lip  shaven,  as 
was  the  popular  style  among  Americans  during  the  early  and 
middle  decades  of  the  nineteenth  century.  In  default  of  infor- 
mation as  to  the  way  in  which  Rigdon  was  finally  identified  with 
Smith's  visitor,  we  have  no  reason  beyond  this  lady's  advertised 
reputation  for  honesty  and  probity,  to  convince  us  that  she  was 
not  mistaken.  Certainly  this  is  not  evidence,  either  on  Mormon 
matters,  or  anything  beside. 

But  Smith's  old  neighbors  come  forward  as  confidently  in  this 
Rigdon  matter,  as  in  revealing  his  bad  and  depraved  character, 
as  already  mentioned.  Thus  a  certain  Abel  Chase  is  quoted  as 
saying :  "  I  saw  Rigdon  at  Smith's  at  different  times  with  con- 
siderable intervals  between  them " ;  and  a  certain  Lorenzo 
Saunders  assures  us  that,  "  I  saw  Rigdon  at  Smith's  several 
times,  and  the  first  visit  was  more  than  two  years  before  the 
Book  (of  Mormon)  appeared."  There  are  a  few  others  of  sim- 
ilar import,  but  none  of  them  rise  to  the  dignity  of  conclusive 
evidence  to  any  candid  mind,  in  the  simple  fact  that  they  fail  to 
give  information  as  to  how  Rigdon  was  identified. 

If,  however,  such  "  testimonies  "  as  these  suffice  to  establish  a 
presumption  in  favor  of  the  Spaulding  romance,  it  is  not  im- 
proper to  adduce  testimony,  which  is,  at  least,  as  conclusive  on 
the  other  side  of  the  "  controversy."  As  given  by  Prof.  Nelson, 
as  quoted  above,  we  have  the  following,  which  can  doubtless  be 
investigated,  even  at  the  present  day,  and,  if  possible,  discredited : 
"As  final  disproof  of  Rigdon's  authorship  of  the  Book  of  Mor- 
mon, I  present  herewith  passages  from  a  manuscript  Life  of  Sidney 


4i8  THE  REAL  MORMONISM 

Rigdon,  written  by  his  son,  John  W.  Rigdon,  and  quoted  by  Roberts  in 
his  new  History  of  the  Church.  The  reader  should  first  be  informed 
that  Rigdon,  failing  in  his  ambition  to  be  President  of  the  Church 
after  the  Prophet's  death,  withdrew  from  the  body  of  the  Saints  on 
their  exodus  to  the  Rocky  Mountains,  tried  to  build  up  the  church 
anew  in  Pittsburg,  and,  failing,  retired  to  Friendship,  Alleghany  County, 
New  York,  where  he  died  in   1876. 

"  John  W.  Rigdon  visited  Utah  in  1863  with  a  view  to  studying  Mor- 
monism.  He  was  not  favorably  impressed,  and  among  other  things, 
came  to  the  conclusion  that  the  Book  of  Mormon  itself  was  a  fraud. 
Accordingly,  he  determined,  on  returning  home,  to  sift  thoroughly  his 
father's  alleged  part  in  getting  it  up. 

"  *  You  have  been  charged  with  writing  that  book  and  giving  it  to 
Joseph  Smith  to  introduce  to  the  world.  You  have  always  told  me 
one  story.  ...  Is  this  true?  If  so,  all  right,  if  not,  you  owe  it  to  me 
and  to  your  family  to  tell  it.  You  are  an  old  man  and  will  soon  pass 
away,  and  I  wish  to  know  if  Joseph  Smith  in  your  intimacy  with  him 
for  fourteen  years,  has  not  said  something  to  you  to  lead  you  to  believe 
that,  he  obtained  that  book  in  some  other  way  than  what  he  had  told 
you.  .  .  .  My  father  looked  at  me  a  moment,  raised  his  hand  above  his 
head  and  slowly  said,  with  tears  glistening  in  his  eyes :  '  My  son,  I 
can  swear  before  high  heaven,  that  what  I  have  told  you  about  the 
origin  of  that  book  is  true.  Your  mother  and  sister,  Mrs.  Athalia 
Robinson,  were  present  when  that  book  was  handed  to  me  in  Mentor, 
Ohio,  and  all  I  ever  knew  about  that  book  was  what  Parley  P. 
^Pratt,  Oliver  Cowdery,  Joseph  Smith  and  the  witnesses  told  me;  and 
in  all  my  intimacy  with  Joseph  Smith,  he  never  told  me  but  the  one 
story  .  .  .  and  I  have  never,  to  you  or  to  any  one  else,  told  but  the  one 
story,  and  that  I  repeat  to  you.'  I  believed  him,  and  still  believe  he  told 
me  the  truth.' 

"  Mr.  Rigdon  also  gives  testimony  from  his  mother,  just  previous  to 
her  death,  corroborating  that  of  his  father,  and  an  affidavit  of  his  sister, 
Mrs.  Athalia  Robinson,  who  was  ten  years  old  at  the  time  Rigdon  joined 
the  Church,  and  who  testifies  to  the  visit  of  the  elders  and  of  Parley  P. 
Pratt's  handing  her  father  a  copy  of  the  Book  of  Mormon,  saying  it 
was  a  revelation  from  God.  There  seems  to  be  really  no  grounds 
whatever  for  connecting  Rigdon  with  the  Book  of  Mormon,  save  the 
desperate  need  of  anti-Mormons  to  account  for  it  somehow  in  con- 
sonance with  a  fixed  notion  that  Mormonism  is  a  false  religion.  Need- 
less to  say,  they  are  doomed  to  failure  by  the  Rigdon  hypothesis.  In 
the  meanwhile,  the  Book  of  Mormon  is  still  here,  and  the  field  is  open 
for  new  romancers  to  try  their  hand." — The  Mormon  Point  of  View, 
pp.  183-185. 

Certain  Spauldingite  theorists,  realizing  evidently  the  weak- 
ness of  the  arguments  for  Rigdon's  complicity  in  the  production 
of  the  Book  of  Mormon,  have  qualified  their  statements  of  the 
theory  by  admitting  that  "  some  other  scoundrel "  might  have 
acted  as  editor,  instead  of  this  "  backslidden  clergyman."  Their 
cause  nov^  demands  the  identification  of  an  ''original  author," 
rather  than  a  mere  editor  or  reviser,  since,  by  the  recovery  of 
the  original  autograph  copy  of  Spaulding's  Manuscript  Found, 
the  only  book  that  he  is  known  to  have  written,  the  Spaulding 
authorship  of  the  Book  of  Mormon  is  effectually  disproved  to 


THE  SPAULDING  AUTHORSHIP  THEORY      419 

any  competent  literary  critic  or  judge  of  characteristics  of  style. 
The  evident  weakness  and  inconclusiveness,  also,  of  the  several 
alleged  "  affidavits  "  given  by  Howe  and  others,  which,  as  any 
intelligent  reader  can  see,  describe  the  Book  of  Mormon  only 
very  imperfectly,  if  at  all,  early  gave  rise  to  the  theory  that 
Spaulding  had  written  several  distinct  romances  of  ancient  Amer- 
ica, two  of  which,  at  least  —  the  Nephite  and  the  Jaredite  "  por- 
tions " —  had  been  combined  by  some  editor  as  integral  parts  of 
the  Book.  This  theory  served  a  double  use;  accounting  at  once 
for  the  deficiencies  of  the  Howe  affidavits,  which,  as  acknowl- 
edged by  the  critics,  "  refer  only  to  the  Nephite  portion  " —  we 
may  allow  them  the  use  of  this  comforting  supposition  —  and 
also  for  the  fact  that  the  manuscript  obtained  by  Hurlburt  from 
Mrs.  Davidson's  trunk,  as  related,  bore  no  resemblance  to  the 
Book  of  Mormon,  and  was  useless  for  the  purpose  to  which  they 
had  hoped  to  apply  it.  But,  with  the  formulation  of  the  theory 
of  several  manuscripts,  new  depths  of  "  infamy,"  "  rascality," 
and  imbecility  are  discovered  and  explored.  Never,  in  the  whole 
history  of  literature,  had  such  crimes  been  committed,  and  such 
absurdities  perpetrated  —  or  alleged.  Thus,  the  Rev.  C.  Braden, 
although  a  person  of  "  iron  conviction  "  and  an  abusive  debater, 
evidently  regarding  his  opponents  with  lofty  disdain,  does  not 
hesitate  to  use  such  a  line  of  argument  as  the  following,  as  a 
bolster  for  his  contentions : 

"  In  their  conferences  Imposter  Joe  told  Rigdon  of  the  existence  of 
the  other  Spaulding  manuscripts,  then  at  Hardwicke,  New  York,  in  the 
house  of  Mrs.  Davidson,  formerly  Spaulding^s  wife  and  widow.  [Evi- 
dently some  of  Smith's  inquiring  and  veracious  neighbors  also  owned 
*  peepstones '  or  had  learned  the  secrets  of  wireless  telephone  *  out  of 
due  time,'  thus  enabling  them  to  overhear  and  report  on  conferences 
held  in  a  manner  *  most  private,']  The  two  concocted  a  scheme  to  steal 
them  and  thus  destroy  all  likelihood  of  detection  of  the  theft  of  the 
Spaulding  manuscript,  and  exposure  of  the  fraud.  Smith  was  loafing 
at  Hardwicke,  in  the  summer  and  early  fall  of  1827,  superintending 
a  gang  of  men,  who  were  trying  to  find  a  silver  mine,  on  the  farm  of 
Mr.  Stowell.  He  dug  some  wells  in  the  town  also,  one  for  Stowell. 
September  21-22,  1827,  Smith  succeeded  in  stealing  some  of  the  Mor- 
mon manuscripts  of  Solomon  Spaulding,  perhaps  Mormon  manuscript 
No.  I,  the  one  Miss  Martha  Spaulding  had  read  a  few  years  before 
at  her  uncle's  when  the  trunk  was  in  her  care,  and  the  first  one 
Spaulding  wrote,  the  one  he  read  to  most  of  the  witnesses  who  lived 
in  Conneaut,  also  Mormon  manuscript  No.  2,  the  one  he  told  Smith 
he  \yas  writing  before  he  left  Conneaut,  the  one  of  which  he  read  a 
portion  to  J.  N.  Miller  —  the  one  to  which  he  added  the  Zarahemla  por- 
tion. The  theft  of  the  manuscripts  is  the  true  interpretation  of  Smith's 
wonderful  visions  of  September  21-22,  1827.  Smith's  neighbors  say  that 
he  never  mentioned  his  visions  of  1820  and  1823  while  in  the  state 
of  New  York,  and  his  visions  of  September  1827,  as  first  told,  have 
no  resemblance  to  his  final  version.    He  dressed  up  his  hearing  of  the 


420  THE  REAL  MORMONISM 

existence  of  the  Spaulding  manuscripts  into  his  second  vision  of  Sep- 
tember, 1823." — Braden  and  Kelley  Debate,  p.  55. 

It  would  be  highly  unnecessary  to  quote  such  utterly  unsup- 
ported nonsense  as  this,  were  it  not  for  the  fact  that  the  story 
of  Smith's  supposed  theft  of  these  suppositious  manuscripts  has 
been  mentioned  by  other  anti-Mormon  writers  with  similar  con- 
fidence and  elaboration.  But  there  is  not  even  a  gossiping  *'  af- 
fidavit" to  uphold  it.  Nor  does  it  explain  why,  with  so  favor- 
able an  opportunity.  Smith  did  not  steal  all  of  Spaulding's  re- 
maining manuscripts,  and  thus  effectually  forestall  all  possibility 
of  "  detection  "  to  the  end  of  time.  This  could  not  be,  however, 
since  Hurlburt  is  reported  to  have  obtained  at  least  one  other, 
which  he  is  acknowledged  to  have  given  to  Howe,  who  retained  it, 
in  spite  of  Mrs.  Davidson's  repeated  requests  for  its  return. 
But  anti-Mormonism  has  learned  many  new  "  tricks  "  in  course 
of  "  unraveling  "  the  tortuous  plottings  and  "  loafings  "  of  Smith, 
Rigdon,  and  others,  and  is  fully  equal  to  the  emergency.  Thus 
it  is  that  Mr.  Braden  is  able  to  out-Rigdon  even  Rigdon  himself, 
and  expose  the  full  villainy  of  the  plot.  The  following  will  show 
the  depth  of  downright  absurdity  sounded  by  some  of  these 
people : 

"  There  can  be  no  doubt  that  he  [Spaulding]  wrote  it  for  the  sole 
purpose  of  publishing  it,  and  that  he  expected  to  make  money  by  pub- 
lishing it.  There  is  nothing  wrong  about  this.  But  that  his  motives, 
he  knew,  were  some  of  them  wrong,  is  evident  from  the  fact  that  he 
kept  them  from  his  wife  and  daughter  [very  evident],  and  also  lied 
to  them  in  regard  to  his  object  in  writing  the  manuscript.  Some  of  his 
expressions  show  that  his  motives  were  very  questionable.  He  intended 
to  assert  that  his  book  was  copied  from  a  manuscript  dug  out  of  the 
earth,  or  found  in  a  cave.  He  expected  to  deceive  the  world  except 
the  learned  few,  and  cause  them  to  believe  this  falsehood  that  he 
intended  to  palm  off  on  them ;  and  also  to  induce  all,  but  the  learned 
few,  to  believe  his  book  to  be  veritable  history  as  much  so  as  any 
history.  So  he  declared  to  Miller  of  Conneaut,  Wright,  Cunningham 
and  others.  No  wonder  he  concealed  his  purpose  from  his  wife  and 
daughter.  Howe  says  on  page  289  of  his  history,  that  he  has  a  letter 
in  his  possession  that  proves  that  Spaulding  was  sceptical  in  his  last 
days.  If  so  we  can  understand  his  caricaturing  the  Bible  in  the  way 
he  did,  in  his  romance.  .  .  . 

"  Mrs.  Davidson  declares  that  Hurlburt  wrote  to  her  from  Hardwicke 
that  he  found  the  manuscript  and  would  return  it  to  her  when  through 
with  it.  He  came  to  Howe  with  a  lie  and  told  him  he  only  found  a 
portion  of  an  entirely  different  manuscript.  He  sold  the  manuscript  to 
Rigdon  and  Smith,  took  the  money  and  went  to  Western  Ohio  and  bought 
a  farm,  and  Mrs.  Davidson  and  her  daughter,  Mrs.  McKinstry,  could 
never  get  a  word  of  reply  from  him,  although  they  sent  several  letters 
to  parties  who  wrote;  they  gave  the  letters  to  Hurlburt.  This  answers 
the  Mormon  "  Why  did  they  not  publish  the  Spaulding  '  Manuscript 
Found '  ? "  Because  Mormons  had  gotten  it  into  their  possession  by 
bribing  Hurlburt."— /Wd.  pp.  64-65. 


THE  SPAULDING  AUTHORSHIP  THEORY      421 

It  is  interesting  to  note  that  neither  Braden  nor  any  other 
writer  of  his  **  school "  has  ever  attempted  to  offer  justification 
for  the  assertions  here  made,  although  they  have  been  variously 
repeated.  That  Hurlburt  might  have  been  "bribed,"  as  sug- 
gested, is  not  impossible,  but  the  question  is,  where  did  he 
get  the  manuscript  which  he  sold  to  "  Rigdon  and  Smith "  ? 
Why  had  Smith  not  stolen  it  on  his  alleged  "loafing"  descent 
upon  Hardwicke?  The  testimony  of  Mrs.  Martha  McKinstry, 
Spaulding's  daughter,  has  already  been  quoted  to  the  effect  that 
she  knew  of  a  manuscript  by  her  father  "  about  one  inch  thick." 
This  one  Howe  received,  as  will  be  shown  later.  How  thick  was 
the  manuscript  sold  by  Hurlburt?  In  spite  of  these  difficulties, 
Mr.  Braden  sums  the  '*  facts  established,"  as  he  alleges,  un- 
der twenty-three  heads  of  features  peculiar  only  to  the  Book 
of  Mormon  and  the  Manuscript  Found.    They  are  as  follows : 

"I.  The  plot  and  matter  of  Spaulding's  *  Manuscript  Found.'  They 
(the  affidaviting  *  witnesses ')  describe  it  clearly  and  definitely.  It  is  pre- 
cisely the  plot  and  matter  of  two  books  and  only  two  of  all  books  that 
have  ever  been  written.  (This  assertion  is  made  in  spite  of  the  definite 
mention  by  several  of  these  witnesses  of  the  *  Lost  ten  tribes  of  Israel,' 
which  is  a  feature  utterly  foreign  to  anything  expressed  or  suggested 
in  the  Book  of  Mormon.) 

"  II.  That  it  purported  to  be  a  real  truthful  history  of  the  aborigines 
—  the  first  settlers  of  America. 

"  III.  An  attempt  to  account  for  the  antiquities  of  America  by  giving  a 
real  history  of  their  construction. 

"  IV.  It  assumed  that  the  Israelites  were  the  aborigines  of  America. 

"V.  That  they  left  Jerusalem. 

"VI.  Journeyed  by  land  and  by  sea. 

"VII.  Their  leaders  were   Nephi  and  Lehi. 

"VIII.  They  quarrelled  and  divided  into  two  parties  called  Nephites 
and  Lamanites. 

"  IX.  There  were  terrible  wars  between  the  Nephites  and  Lamanites, 
and  between  the  parties  into  which  these  nations  divided. 

"X.  They  buried  their  dead  after  the  awful  slaughter  in  their  wars, 
which  were  unprecedented,  in  great  heaps,  which  caused  the  mounds. 

"  XI.  The  end  of  their  wars  in  two  instances  was  the  total  an- 
nihilation in  battle  of  all  but  one,  who  escaped  to  make  the  record  of 
the  catastrophe. 

"  XII.  It  gives  a  historical  account  of  the  civilization,  arts,  sciences, 
laws  and  customs  of  the  aborigines  of  America. 

"  XIII.  These  people  were  the  ancestors  of  our  American  Indians. 

"  XIV.  The  names,  Lehi,  Nephi,  Lamanite,  Nephite,  Moroni,  Mormon, 
Zarahemla,   Laban. 

"  XV.  These  in  every  instance  are  the  names  of  the  same  persons  or 
places  or  things,  and  have  the  same  characteristics  and  history,  etc. 

"XVI.    Written  in   Scriptural  style. 

"  XVII.  Absurd  repetition  of  *  And  it  came  to  pass,'  *  And  now  it 
came  to  pass.' 

"  XVIII.  One  party  left  Jerusalem  to  escape  judgments  about  to  over- 
take the  Israelites. 


422 


THE  REAL  MORMONISM 


"XIX.  History  was  written  and  buried  by  one  of  the  lost  people. 

"XX.  The  book  was  obtained  from  the  earth. 

"  XXI.  One  party  of  emigrants  landed  near  the  Isthmus  of  Darien, 
which  they  called  Zarahemla,  and  migrated  across  the  continent  in  a 
northeast  direction. 

"  XXII.  In  a  battle  the  Amlicites  marked  their  foreheads  with  a  red 
cross,  so  that  they  could  distinguish  themselves  (one  another?)  from 
their  enemies. 

"  XXIII.  The  book  could  be  used  as  an  addition  to  the  Bible  by  an 
imposter,  as  an  addition  coming  from  America." — Ibid.  pp.  65-^6. 

As  we  have  already  read  several  of  the  most  definite  "  affi- 
davits '*  upon  which  these  large  claims  are  founded,  and  have 
discussed  the  probability  of  so  many  people  "  distinctly  remem- 
bering "  such  names  and  incidents  after  twenty  years,  and  more, 
it  is  necessary  only  to  add,  therefore,  that  these  twenty-three 
statements,  so  confidently  given,  have  positively  not  been  estab- 
lished by  the  "  testimonies  "  quoted  by  Mr.  Braden,  or  by  any 
others.  The  mention  of  the  *'  Ten  Lost  Tribes  "  and  of  a  book 
written  to  "  account  for  "  the  mounds,  and  other  American  an- 
tiquities, should  go  very  far  toward  discrediting  the  **  testimo- 
nies "  offered  by  Howe  and  others,  in  the  minds  of  any  persons 
who  have  read  the  Book  of  Mormon. 

The  Braden  and  Kelley  debate  was  held  in  Kirtland,  Ohio,  dur- 
ing the  four  weeks  between  February  12th  and  March  8th,  1884. 
All  that  was  said,  therefore,  about  the  Spaulding  manuscript  or 
its  alleged  contents  was  anterior  to  the  recovery  of  the  manu- 
script book,  bearing  the  title  Manuscript  Found,  and  in  the  hand- 
writing of  Solomon  Spaulding,  which  occurred  later  in  the  same 
year.  This  incident  may  be  described  in  the  words  of  President 
James  H.  Fairchild  of  Oberlin  College,  as  follows: 

"  The  theory  of  the  origin  of  the  Book  of  Mormon  in  the  traditional 
manuscript  of  Solomon  Spaulding  will  probably  have  to  be  relinquished. 
The  manuscript  is  doubtless  now  in  the  possession  of  Mr.  L.  L.  Rice,  of 
Honolulu,  Hawaiian  Islands,  formerly  an  anti-slavery  editor  in  Ohio, 
and  for  many  years  state  printer  at  Columbus.  During  a  recent  visit 
to  Honolulu,  I  suggested  to  Mr.  Rice  that  he  might  have  some  valuable 
anti-slavery  documents  in  his  possession,  which  he  might  be  willing 
to  contribute  to  the  rich  collection  already  in  the  Oberlin  College  library. 
In  pursuance  of  this  suggestion  Mr.  Rice  began  looking  over  his  old 
pamphlets  and  papers,  and  at  length  came  upon  an  old,  worn,  and 
faded  manuscript  of  about  175  pages,  small  quarto,  purporting  to  be  a 
history  of  the  migrations  and  conflicts  of  the  ancient  Indian  tribes 
which  occupied  the  territory  now  belonging  to  the  states  of  New  York, 
Ohio,  and  Kentucky.  On  the  last  page  of  his  manuscript  is  a  certificate 
and  signature  giving  the  names  of  several  persons  known  to  the  signer, 
who  have  assured  him  that,  to  their  personal  knowledge,  the  manu- 
script was  the  writing  of  Solomon  Spaulding.  Mr.  Rice  has  no  recollec- 
tion of  how  or  when  this  manuscript  came  into  his  possession.  It  was 
enveloped  in  a  coarse  piece  of  wrapping  paper  and  endorsed  in  Mr. 
Rice's  handwriting  *  A  Manuscript  Story.'  ...  It  is  unlikely  that  anyone 


THE  SPAULDING  AUTHORSHIP  THEORY      423 

who  wrote  so  elaborate  a  work  as  the  Mormon  Bible  would  spend  his 
time  getting  up  so  shallow  a  story  as  this.  There  seems  no  reason  to 
doubt  that  this  is  the  long-lost  story.  Mr.  Rice,  myself,  and  others 
compared  it  with  the  Book  of  Mormon,  and  could  detect  no  resemblance 
between  the  two,  in  general  or  in  detail.  There  seems  to  be  no  name  or 
incident  common  to  the  two."—  Bibliotheca  Sacra,  Jan.  1885. 

That  the  manuscript  is  thoroughly  identified  as  the  famous 
Manuscript  Found  of  Solomon  Spaulding  seems  assured.  On 
the  fly-leaf  is  written  the  title,  The  Manuscript  Found ,  and  * 
below  it,  as  a  sort  of  sub-title  Manuscript  Story.  On  the  last 
page  of  the  manuscript  is  an  endorsement  in  the  handwriting  of 
Hurlburt,  as  follows: 

"The   writings    of    Sollomon   Spaulding   proved   by   Aaron   Wright    ' 
Oliver   Smith  John   Miller  and  others  The  testimonies  of  the  above 
Gentlemen  are  now  in  my  possession  D.  P.  Hurlburt." 

Commenting  on  this  fact,  Prof.  Nelson  remarks: 

"The  reader  will  call  to  mind  that  Hurlburt  (alias  Howe)  prints 
affidavits  .  .  .  representing  two  of  these  men,  John  Miller  and  Aaron 
Wright,  as  saying  that  they  immediately  recognized  Spaulding's  story 
in  the  Book  of  Mormon  by  the  similarity  of  names,  and  the  recur- 
rence of  the  phrase.  *  It  came  to  pass.'  Wright  is  represented  as  ex- 
claiming :  *  Old  "  come  to  pass  "  has  come  to  life  again !  *  Yet  here  is 
Hurlburt's  certificate  of  the  fact  that  these  men  were  acquainted  with  ^ 
the  real  manuscript  (that  is  to  say  the  one  found  by  Mr.  Rice),  in 
which  none  of  these  expressions  occur  at  all.  .  .  .  Nevertheless  .  .  . 
Mr.  Linn  proceeds  to  build  up  his  hypothesis  of  another  manuscript, 
and  of  Rigdon's  theft  and  forgery;  bolstering  it  by  the  affidavits  of 
such  men  as  John  N.  Miller  and  Aaron  Wright,  above  quoted  —  men 
who  are  demonstrated  to  have  sworn  to  lies.  Linn's  subterfuge  is,  how- 
ever, unworthy  of  credence  for  following  reasons:  (i)  Spaulding 
never  claimed  anjrwhere  or  to  anyone  to  have  written  more  than  one 
story  about  ancient  America.  (2)  His  wife  refers  constantly  to  only 
one  —  the  'Manuscript  Found.*  (3)  His  daughter,  whose  testimony  has 
already  been  quoted,  mentions  no  other,  though  she  often  went  through  # 
his  papers  in  the  old  trunk  and  handled  this  manuscript,  which,  she 
says,  'was  about  an  inch  thick  and  closely  written.'  (4)  Hurlburt  got 
permission  to  open  this  trunk,  and  found  but  one  story — 'The  Manu- 
script Found ' —  which  he  turned  over  to  E.  D.  Howe." —  The  Mor- 
mon Point  of  View,  pp.  100,  164-165. 

In  addition  to  the  facts  mentioned  by  Nelson,  it  is  significant 
to  notice  that  none  of  the  Howe  "  affidavits,"  which  are  sup- 
posed to  have  been  freely  given  by  the  "  deponents,"  and  in  their 
own  words,  mention  that  there  was  a  manuscript  by  Spaulding 
having  the  character  of  the  one  discovered  in  Honolulu.  While 
it  may  be  answered  that  it  was  unnecessary  that  any  of  them 
should  mention  it,  it  remans  true,  nevertheless,  that  a  confusion 
between  some  of  the  incidents  of  this  story,  and  of  the  other 
one,  which  they  are  represented  as  stating  that  they  had  heard 
read,  must  have  occurred  in  the  minds  of  some  of  them,  if  there 
really  were  two  manuscripts.  That  they  should  have  remem- 
bered this  one  more  vividly  than  the  other,  which  they  are  made 


424  THE  REAL  MORMONISM 

to  state  that  he  wrote,  seems  reasonable,  in  view  of  the  fact  that 
it  possesses  a  distinct  "  local  color,"  as  representing  that  the 
parchment  manuscript  containing  the  narration  was  found  near 
Conneaut  Creek.  We  might  reasonably  have  expected  that 
either  Wright,  Miller,  or  Oliver  Smith,  who,  by  Hurlburt's  at- 
testation, as  already  seen,  had  identified  the  Honolulu-Oberlin 
manuscript  as  Spaulding's  writing,  would  state  definitely  that  it 

"  was  not  the  one  referred  to.  They  do  not  appear  to  have  done 
anything  of  the  kind. 

In  comparing  the  Manuscript  Found  with  the  Book  of  Mor- 
mon, the  sole  task  before  the  critic  is  to  determine  whether  or 
not  the  same  author  can  be  assumed  to  have  written  both;  for 
it  is  evident,  even  on  a  most  casual  reading,  that  the  latter  book 
positively  is  in  no  sense  whatever  an  elaboration  of  the  former. 
Nor  is  it  necessary  to  make  too  severe  a  criticism  of  this  estab- 
lished production  of  Mr.  Spaulding,  although,  in  the  opinion  of 
President  Fairchild,  as  quoted  above,  it  is  justly  said  that,  "  It 
is  unlikely  that  anyone  who  wrote  so  elaborate  a  work  as  the 
Mormon  Bible  would  spend  his  time  getting  up  so  shallow  a 
story    as    this."     Spaulding's    manuscript    shows    nothing   more 

t  clearly  than  the  work  of  a  confirmed  amateur  in  literature.  Al- 
though, as  must  be  admitted,  the  author  had  undoubted  talents  as 
a  story  teller,  and  some  elements  of  good  imagination,  he  is  evi- 
dently "  working  at  another  man's  trade,"  and  has  succeeded  in 
producing  a  composition  singularly  free  from  real  literary  merit. 
His  episodes  are  of  the  simplest  order,  and  his  descriptions, 
either  defective  or  overdrawn.  Thus,  while  his  plot  is  one 
susceptible  of  great  developments,  if  attempted  by  such  a  writer 
as  H.  Rider  Haggard,  for  example,  he  seems  utterly  incapable 

*  of  producing  anything  but  the  most  commonplace  situations. 
His  dialogues,  orations  —  if  they  can  be  so  called  —  and  remarks 
show  no  talent  for  elaboration,  nor  are  his  characters  at  all 
interesting. 

In  all  these  particulars,  the  Book  of  Mormon  is  the  direct 
antithesis  of  Spaulding's  story;  being  a  very  elaborate  work, 
abounding  in  situations,  some  of  which  are  well  worthy  to  be 
called  *'  dramatic "  in  the  best  sense,  and  supported  by  well- 
conceived  narrations,  dialogues  and  several  orations  showing 
both  profound  thought  and  real  human  interest.  Whatever  may 
have  been  its  origin,  it  is  certainly  not  to  be  compared  with  the 
only  proved  production  of  Mr.  Spaulding.  No  competent  critic 
would  decide  that  the  two  had  been  written  by  one  hand.  On 
the  basis  of  far  smaller  "  variations  "  of  style  do  our  "  higher 
critics "  conclude  that  the  books  of  the  Bible  are  "  composite 
productions,"  and  cut  them  up  into  *'  documents,"  supposed  tg 


THE  SPAULDING  AUTHORSHIP  THEORY      425 

have  been  written  by  various  hands.  In  another  point,  also, 
do  these  two  books  differ  radically,  and  this  is  in  the  fact  that 
they  represent  wholly  different  classes  of  composition.  Spauld- 
ing's  story  is  a  simple  narrative  of  travel  and  adventure,  and  1 
a  rather  feeble  one  at  that:  the  Book  of  Mormon  professes  to 
be  an  historical  record,  and  carries  out  its  character  consistently 
throughout,  as  is  shown  in  the  "  year-by-year  "  accounts  in  the 
Book  of  Helamon.  Thus,  whether  or  not  we  can  agree  with 
Prof.  Nelson  that  this  story  "  is  no  more  like  the  Book  of 
Mormon  than  the  coarse  yarns  of  a  horse-jockey  resemble  the  • 
Sermon  on  the  Mount,"  (p.  100),  it  is  highly  probable  that  if 
the  labor  and  energy  evidently  necessary  to  produce  so  elaborate 
a  work  as  the  Book  of  Mormon  had  been  expended  on  it,  we 
might  have  had  a  story  worth  reading.  Nor  is  it  likely,  assum- 
ing the  Spaulding  authorship  of  the  Book  of  Mormon,  that  it 
was  the  book  "  heard  read  repeatedly,"  as  is  testified  in  effect 
of  Spaulding's  story,  by  any  persons,  "  friends "  or  otherwise, 
unless  they  believed  it  to  be  a  sacred  record,  or  unless  they 
were  suitably  remunerated  for  their  time.  Like  all  narratives 
in  historic  form,  the  Old  Testament  books  among  them,  the 
source  of  interest  is  in  what  they  are  believed  to  involve,  rather 
than  in  their  immediate  interest  as  literature.     Thus: 

"Men  who  never  read  the  Book  of  Mormon  tell  us  that  it  was  a 
novel,  that  a  book  received  by  hundreds  of  thousands  as  God's  word 
was  originally  written  as  a  romance,  and  yet  not  one  of  them  reading 
it  as  a  romance  would  ever  read  it  half  through.  I  should  as  soon  ex-  " 
pect  to  see  Swedenborg's  works  published  in  serial  form  to  compete  for 
fame  with  the  Haut-Boy's  Revenge. —  Utah  and  its  People  by  a  Gen- 
tile {D.  D.  Lum). 

Apart  from  the  evident  wide  differences  of  style  between  the 
two  books,  which,  in  any  other  connection,  would  be  held  to^ 
establish  diversity  of  authorship,  there  is  reasonably  good  pre- 
sumption that  the  Manuscript  Found  was  Spaulding's  sole 
literary  effort,  (i)  It  was  evidently  written  at  some  period 
between  1809  and  1814,  since  in  the  former  year  he  is  said  to 
have  come  to  Conneaut,  Ohio,  in  whose  neighborhood  the  parch- 
ment manuscript,  in  "an  elegant  hand  with  Roman  Letters  and 
in  the  Latin  Language,"  is  supposed  to  have  been  found.  (2) 
It  may  be  held  to  have  been,  for  this  reason,  the  manuscript  read 
to  some  of  Spaulding's  neighbors,  as  related,  about  1810.  (3)  \ 
It  accords  with  their  descriptions  to  the  extent  of  giving  "  an 
account  of  their  (the  aborigines')  arts,  sciences,  civilization, 
laws  and  contentions,"  since  six  of  its  fourteen  chapters  (5,  6, 
7,  8,  9,  10)  go  into  these  very  matters  at  great  length.  (4)  It 
is  of  convenient  size  to  be  read  repeatedly  to  complacent  neigh- 


426  THE  REAL  MORMONISM 

bors,  as  testified,  containing  only  175  pages  of  "  foolscap  "  paper, 
and  being  **  about  one  inch  thick." 

If  it  is  not  Spaulding's  only  manuscript  story,  it  is  certainly 

«his  first,  as  may  be  judged  from  the  evident  crudities  of  its 
style.  The  author  of  this  story  is  not  a  trained  writer,  nor  even 
one  of  experience  in  producing  "  copy."  But,  if  this  work  was 
produced  after  1809,  when  Spaulding  was  48  years  of  age,  there 
is  very  small  chance  that  his  talents  so  improved  in  the  remain- 
ing seven  years  of  his  life  that  he  would  have  developed  ability 

4  to  produce  so  highly  elaborated  a  work  as  the  Book  of  Mormon. 
His  first  book  shows  no  traces  of  such  talents,  and  it  was  rather 
late  in  life  to  develop  them;  also,  there  was  very  little  time  left 
to  him.  He  must  have  worked  night  and  day.  Small  wonder 
he  "  failed  in  business,"  also  that  he  died  at  the  comparatively 
early  age  of  fifty-five! 

Another  fact  may  be  urged  as  strong  presumptive  evidence 
that  Spaulding  did  not  write  the  Book  of  Mormon.  This  is 
that,  instead  of  being,  as  Braden  supposes,  "  a  preacher,  in  poor 
health  and  out  of  employment,"  he  turns  out  to  be  a  rank  "  un- 
believer." As  if  his  Manuscript  Found  were  his  sole  literary 
output,  he  files  with  it  a  statement  of  belief,  as  published  copies 
show,  in  which  he  definitely  renounces  Christianity.  In  it  he 
says  of  the  Christian  religion: 

"  It  is  in  my  view  a  mass  of  contradictions  and  an  heterogeneous  mix- 
ture of  wisdom  and  folly  —  nor  can  I  find  any  clear  and  incontrovertible 

*     evidence  of  its  being  a  revelation  from  an  infinite,  benevolent  and  wise 
God.  ...  I  disavow  any  belief  in  the  divinity  of  the  Bible  and  consider 
it  a  mere  human  production   designed  to   enrich   and   aggrandize   its 
authors  and  to  enable  them  to  manage  the  multitude." 
To  be  sure,  there  have  been  several  men  who  have  essayed  to 
,write  books  as  "  substitutes  for  the  Bible,"  but  judging  from  the 
temper  of  the  **  infidels  "  of  Spaulding's  time,  and  from  his  own 
state  of  mind,  as  revealed  in  this  wholly  irrelevant  renunciation 
of  his  formerly  professed  beliefs  —  and  he  is  usually  mentioned 
as  the  *'  Reverend  Mr.  Spaulding  " —  he  would  undoubtedly  have 
attempted  no  such  "  substitute  "  as  the  Book  of  Mormon,  which 
is  replete  with  piety  of  the  most  unmistakable  description  from 
start  to  finish.     Also,  as  any  capable  critic  can  see,  this  element 
was  positively  not  "added"  by  any  reviser  whatsoever,  unless 
we  allow  that  he  might  have  amplified  a  few  of  the  longer  dis- 
courses and  orations  which  are  found  in  every  section  of  the 
Book.     We  may,   therefore,   dismiss  the   Spaulding  hypothesis 
with  the  traditional  Scotch  verdict,  "  not  proven." 


CHAPTER  XXVIII 


WRITING 


A  LATER  theory  of  the  origin  of  the  Book  of  Mormon  holds 
that  it  was  an  original  production  of  Joseph  Smith,  howbeit 
transcribed  by  what  is  known  to  psychological  theorists  as 
"  automatic  writing."  It  would  be  scarcely  worth  the  while  of 
any  investigator  of  the  subject  to  give  this  theory  more  than 
a  passing  notice,  were  it  not  for  the  fact  that  it  has  received 
the  attention  and  endorsement  of  numerous  persons,  who,  while 
devoid  of  psychological  or  scientific  knowledge  of  any  particular 
variety,  still  have  the  ear  of  the  public,  and  can  form  opinion. 
The  theory  was  first  promulgated  by  the  same  Mr.  Riley,  who, 
as  previously  noted,  also  advanced  the  theory  that  Smith's 
recorded  visions  are  to  be  explained  as  some  kind  of  ''  ophthalmic 
migraines "  or  "  visual  aura  of  epilepsy,"  although  himself  in- 
nocent of  any  exhaustive  or  clinical  knowledge  of  the  varieties 
of  the  affliction  on  which  he  writes  so  confidently.  It  is  need- 
less to  say,  that,  if  Mr.  Riley's  "  proofs  "  are  to  be  accepted  as 
evidence  that  Smith  originated  the  Book  of  Mormon,  there  is 
no  reason  for  invoking  the  rare  and  doubtful  phase  of  "  auto- 
matic writing."  Because,  however,  he  was  at  work  upon  a  thesis 
to  explain  Smith's  performances  on  psychological  grounds,  he 
must  needs  invoke  epilepsy  to  explain  visions  and  experiences, 
which  any  "  rationalist "  might,  otherwise,  have  attributed  to  a 
fervid  imagination  or  a  habit  of  dreaming  vividly,  and  assume 
"  unconscious  mental  activity  "  to  explain  the  literary  output  of 
an  undoubtedly  active  mind  backed  by  an  "  adhesive  memory." 
Of  course,  in  the  formulation  of  this  theory,  which,  by  its  terms, 
must  absolve  Smith  from  the  charge  of  conscious  and  willful 
"  imposture,"  no  account  is  made  of  any  such  states  of  mind 
—  not  necessarily  diseased,  in  spite  of  the  theories  of  various 
pathologists  —  as  afforded  to  even  so  learned  a  man  as  Sweden- 
borg  the  elaborate  dreams  and  visions  recorded  in  his  voluminous 
writings. 

Reduced  to  plain  English,  the  "automatic"  theory  is  merely 

427 


428  THE  REAL  MORMONISM 

a  return  to  the  one  strongly  suggested  in  the  writings  of  several 
early  critics  of  Mormonism,  notably  Alexander  Campbell,  that 
the  "  materials  "  for  the  Book  of  Mormon  are  only  such  as  could 
be  readily  gleaned  from  the  surroundings  of  the  youthful  Smith, 
as  well  as  from  the  experiences  and  reflections  of  Sidney  Rigdon. 
That  is  to  say  that  it  combines  current  theories  of  the  origin, 
beliefs,  etc.,  of  the  American  Indians,  with  the  "  live  questions  " 
of  the  times  —  temperance,  Free  Masonry,  baptism,  anti-slavery, 
government,  etc. —  and  a  firsthand  exposition  of  the  Scriptures. 
Thus,  from  Campbell: 

"He  decides  all  the  great  controversies:  infant  baptism,  ordination, 
the  Trinity,  regeneration,  repentance,  justification,  the  fall  of  man,  the 
atonement,  transubstantiation,  fasting,  penance,  church  government,  re- 
ligious experience,  the  call  to  the  ministry,  the  general  resurrection, 
eternal  punishment,  who  may  baptize,  and  even  the  question  of  Free 
Masonry,  republican  government,  and  the  rights  of  man." — Delusions: 
an  Analysis  of  the  Book  of  Mormon,  p.  13. 

Although,  as  is  perfectly  possible,  most  of  the  subjects  here 
listed  are  quite  as  properly  matters  of  interest  throughout  Chris- 
tian centuries,  presumably  also  in  the  earliest  statements  of 
Christ's  teachings,  it  is  perfectly  evident  to  a  reader  of  the  Book 
of  Mormon  that  the  assertions  touching  Free  Masonry  and 
temperance  are  rather  overdrawn.  As  compared  with  the  text 
of  the  book  in  question,  it  seems  perfectly  evident  that  the 
temperance  and  anti-Masonic  movements  of  the  early  part  of 
the  nineteenth  century  are  duplicated  only  in  so  far  as  they 
represent  protests  against  the  evils  of  secret  combines  of  sup- 
posed unrighteous  men  and  assertions  of  the  superior  virtues  of 
abstinence.  As  properly  could  we  conclude  that  the  descendants 
of  Jonadab  the  son  of  Rechab,  who  neither  drank  wine,  nor 
dwelt  in  houses,  were  merely  the  Mohammedan  Arabs  of  the 
present,  who  are  credited  with  similar  professions,  transferred 
to  antiquity  by  some  imaginative  author.  Such  comparisons  are 
made  only  by  persons  who  have  a  settled  conviction  that  the 
book  under  discussion  is  and  must  be  a  "  fraud,"  and  that  any 
argument  based  on  resemblance,   is  competent  to  demonstrate. 

By  similarly  inconclusive  and  forced  arguments  and  state- 
ments, does  Mr.  Riley  attempt  to  assert  that  the  representation 
of  the  Lamanites  (aborigines)  in  the  Book  of  Mormon  is  entirely 
derived  from  current  knowledge  and  opinions  on  the  Indians. 
Thus,  he  asserts  with  confidence,  on  the.  authority  of  Francis 
Parkman,  "  that  the  primitive  red  man  had  no  idea  of  a  great 
spirit,  and  that  the  observations  of  early  writers  were  made 
upon  savages  who  had  been  for  generations  in  contact  with  the 
doctrines  of  Christianity  " —  although  some  such  "  contact "  is 
postulated  for  the  Lamanites  in  the  Book  of  Mormon.    His  pre- 


"AUTOMATIC  WRITING"  429 

tended  criticisms  of  the  representations  of  this  book  on  the  doings 
of  the  Lamanites  may  be  judged  from  the  following: 

"  In  Joseph's  lucubrations  the  mounds  which  the  Indians  regarded  with 
great  reverence,  and  of  which  they  had  lost  the  tradition  [foot  note, 
"D.  G.  Brinton  claimed  that  tradition  among  the  Indians  is  untrust- 
worthy after  three  generations.  Lectures  at  Yale  University,  1898"], 
were  built  by  Moroni  as  defenses  of  his  people  against  the  Lamanites; 
while  the  caches  of  arms  were  due  to  the  penitent  Lamanites  burying 
their  weapons  rather  than  commit  sin." — The  Founder  of  Mormonism, 
p.  131. 

The  accuracy  of  investigation  involved  in  this  remark  may 
be  judged  by  reference  to  the  passages  in  the  Book  of  Mormon 
cited  by  him.  Thus,  on  page  305  (383?),  Ahna  xxiii.  13,  "  these 
are  they  that  laid  down  the  weapons  of  their  rebellion,  yea, 
all  their  weapons  of  war";  also  on  page  308,  Alma  xxiv.  25, 
"  And  it  came  to  pass  that  they  threw  down  their  weapons  of 
war,  and  they  would  not  take  them  again,  for  they  were  stung 
for  the  murders  which  they  had  committed ;  and  they  came  down 
even  as  their  brethren,  relying  upon  the  mercies  of  those  whose 
arms  were  lifted  to  slay  them."  As  may  be  seen,  the  reference 
to  "  caches  of  arms  "  is  very  indistinct. 

Similarly,  Riley  states  that  Smith  must  have  derived  the  ideas 
found  in  the  Book  of  Mormon  from  some  of  the  various  authors 
who  wrote  on  the  Indian  problem  at  and  near  his  time.  He 
attempts  to  uphold  some  such  contention  by  a  comparison  with 
Josiah  Priest's  American  Antiquities,  as  follows: 

"  Moreover  the  contents  of  this  book  resembles  that  of  the  plates  of 
Nephi.  The  chapter  on  the  course  of  the  lost  ten  tribes  is  suggestive 
of  the  wanderings  of  the  Nephites.  In  1841  the  Prophet,  reviewing  a 
volume  of  Mormon  evidences,  noted  four  parallel  passages  drawn  be- 
tween Priest's  work  and  the  Book  of  Mormon.  The  fact  that  the  Mor- 
mon book  was  subsequently  called  in  by  Brigham  Young,  would  excite 
a  suspicion  of  Joseph's  original  plagiarism  from  Priest's  American 
Antiquities,  except  that  the  latter  appeared  in  1833.  However,  Smith 
frequently  printed  in  his  newspaper  curious  notices  of  the  current  works 
on  American  archaeology,  and  pointed  with  triumph  to  various  'an- 
cient records,'  as  they  were  dug  up  from  time  to  time." — Ibid.  p.  127. 

Why  a  candidate  for  a  scientific  degree  in  Yale  University, 
or  elsewhere,  should  include  such  suggestions  as  this  in  his  book 
is  not  evident.  Similarly  inconclusive  is  his  allegation  that  "  the 
advocate  of  a  prehistoric  deism  .  .  .  quotes  opaquely  from  the 
Age  of  Reason  (by  Thomas  Paine)  and  for  his  hardness  of 
heart  is  punished"  (p.  155).  The  attempted  demonstration  of 
this  assertion  by  the  parallel  column  method  reveals  the  exceed- 
ing "opaqueness"  of  the  quotation;  the  two  passages  (Alma 
xxx.  15,  16,  17,  18,  25,  23,  27,  28  and  selected  passages  from 
Part  I  of  Paine's  work)  consist  of  fragments  of  sentences  dis- 
tributed over  three  pages  in  the  Book  of  Mormon,  being  literally 


430  THE  REAL  MORMONISM 

torn  from  their  context  to  example  this  alleged  parallelism  of 
thought,  and  of  a  lengthy  section  from  the  other  book,  con- 
sisting, however,  for  the  most  part,  of  sentences  entire. 

When,  however,  Mr.  Riley  comes  to  his  attempt  to  trace  the 
sources  of  the  theology  of  the  Book  of  Mormon,  which  he  de- 
scribes as  '*a  hodgepodge  of  heterodoxy"  (p.  134),  he  does 
nothing  more  effectually  than  to  demonstrate  himself  the  veriest 
amateur  in  theological  literature.  Thus,  his  elaborate  flounder- 
ings  through  the  mazes  of  "  Calvinism,"  "  Arminianism "  and 
"  Hopkinsianism,"  fortified  with  parallel  passages,  demonstrates 
nothing  in  particular  about  the  Book  of  Mormon,  since  he  does 
not  undertake  a  serious  and  exhaustive  analysis,  which  is  the 
only  thing  that  could  demonstrate  his  proposition.  In  one  case 
he  attempts  a  parallelism  between  a  compound  of  passages  from 
I  Nephi  (xv.  31,  29,  35,  32,  33,  35)  and  another  from  the  West- 
minster Confession  (Chapters  32-33),  which  is  evidently  the 
same  kind  of  "  hodge-podge "  as  the  other  effort  just  noted. 
Such  evidences  are  not  conclusive,  particularly  when  they  reveal 
nothing  more  distinctly  than  that  their  author  knows  little,  or 
nothing,  of  the  department  of  thought  with  which  he  is  at- 
tempting to  deal.  Nevertheless,  he  apparently  sums  his  estimate 
of  the  "  theology  of  the  Book  of  Mormon  "  in  the  follow  passage : 

"  On  the  whole,  the  influence  here  exerted  was  more  practical 
than  theoretical;  one  cause  of  the  rapid  spread  of  Mormonism  was 
its  partial  adaptation  of  the  ways  and  means  of  Methodism.  Out  of 
the  latter's  marvelous  organization  of  local  and  itinerant  clergy,  with 
their  various  conferences,  societies  and  circuits,  the  founder  of  the 
church  of  the  Latter-day  Saints  extracted  a  dislocated  hierarchy  with 
unprecedented  functions.  What  were  the  offices  and  duties  of  Mormon 
apostle3  and  elders,  evangelists  and  bishops,  priests  and  teachers  and 
deacons,  may  be  obscurely  seen  in  the  last  of  the  fourteen  books. 
Judging  from  a  parallel  revelation  given  in  June,  1830  (?),  this  little 
book  of  Mormon  is  essentially  a  book  of  discipline  and  has  presumably 
(  !)  been  added  as  an  afterthought. 

"  Without  entering  the  penumbra  of  minor  creeds,  some  idea  has 
been  gained  of  'the  confusion  and  strife  among  the  different  de- 
nominations/ in  Joseph's  fifteenth  year.  It  is  now  ten  years  later  and 
he  has  done  little  to  reconcile  the  differences;  instead  he  has  but  trans- 
ferred to  paper  his  own  obfustication  (slang!);  his  ancient  record, 
like  an  old-fashioned  mirror,  gives  back  images  vague  and  ill  de- 
fined:'—Ibid,  pp.  147-148. 

The  attempt  to  derive  the  Mormon  organization  from  the 
model  of  Methodism  is  merely  silly.  There  is  no  resemblance 
between  the  two  that  does  not  hold  for  any  two  well-conceived 
organizations,  such  as  the  Society  of  Jesus  and  the  German  army, 
both  of  which  have  been  compared  to  the  organization  of  the 
Mormon  Church,  and  in  none  too  appreciative  a  spirit. 

In  his  effort  to  prove  that  the  Book  of  Mormon  is  really  the 


"  AUTOMATIC  WRITING  "  431 

mental  history  of  Joseph  Smith,  a  "  cross-section  of  his  brain," 
in  fact,  the  best  evidence  adduced  is  undoubtedly  the  close  par- 
allel between  the  dream  of  Lehi,  as  recorded  in  the  Book  of 
Mormon  (I.  Nephi  viii.  2-27)  and  a  dream  of  his  father,  Joseph 
Smith,  Sr.,  as  described  in  a  work  entitled  Biographical 
Sketches  (pp.  58-59).  These  resemblances  Mr.  Riley  explains 
in  the  following  manner :  "  This  quotation  implies  and  reverts 
to  ancestry;  even  more  does  it  disclose  environment."  All  this 
may  be  true,  but  it  is  also  quite  as  reasonable  that  the  elder  Smith, 
in  setting  about  to  recount  one  of  his  vivid  dreams,  uncon- 
sciously borrowed  many  ideas  from  the  account  found  in  the 
Book  of  Mormon.  A  borrowing  is  assumed  in  either  case,  and 
there  is  no  evidence  that  supports  the  one  rather  than  the  other. 
Mr.  Riley  also  undertakes  to  identify  the  famous  **  transcript," 
labeled  Caractors,  as  an  example  of  genuine  "automatic  writ- 
ing," as  follows: 

"As  will  be  seen,  the  paper  bears  marks  of  being  written  under  the 
influence  of  veritable  crystal  gazing.  In  that  self-induced,  trancelike 
state  Joseph's  involuntary  scratchings  would  appear  to  him  occult, 
mysterious,  true  revelations  from  heaven.  For  a  scientific  explanation 
of  the  matter  there  is  no  need  to  call  in  the  activities  of  a  '  second  per- 
sonality,' but  merely  those  of  the  subconscious  self.  The  scrawl  is 
analogous  to  the  scribblings  of  the  undeveloped  automatically-writing 
hand,  such  as  is  found  even  among  the  uncivilized.  If  the  ultimate  solu- 
tion of  this  document  is  a  problem  for  abnormal  psychology,  its  make 
up  is  no  great  mystery.  As  the  contents  of  the  Book  of  Mormon  can 
be  traced  to  indigenous  sources-— the  ideas  which  Joseph  picked  up 
in  the  Indian  country  where  he  lived  —  so  it  is  with  these  characters. 
The  more  elaborate  resemble  the  picture  writing  of  the  aborigines,  such 
as  would  interest  a  boy.  It  is  going  too  far  to  hunt  for  Greek  and 
Hebrew  letters,  for  the  tables  of  foreign  alphabets  had  not  yet  ap- 
peared in  current  dictionaries.  [Foot  note,  "  Noah  Webster's  Diction- 
ary of  this  date  has  only  tables  of  moneys,  weights  and  measures. 
Thus  the  pound  sterling  sign  occurs  in  the  top  line  of  the  * caractors.'"] 
The  job  is  home-made :  if  Joseph  had  not  taken  the  matter  so  seriously, 
this  might  be  considered  an  amusing  burlesque  on  a  farmer's  almanac, 
for  he  has  only  half  concealed  the  signs  of  the  Zodiac,  and  those 
cabalistic  aspects  and  nodes  which  may  go  with  the  planting  of  potatoes. 
"  That  which  betrays  the  puerility,  and,  at  the  same  time,  the  genuine- 
ness of  the  document,  is  the  curious  fact  that  the  youth's  own  name 
appears  twice  in  a  sort  of  cryptogram.  ...  As  is  elsewhere  shown, 
Joseph's  condition,  under  the  influence  of  his  *  Urim  and  Thummim,' 
was  semi-hypnotic.  Now  it  is  a  commonplace  of  experiment  that  while 
in  this  state,  which  is  hardly  more  than  reverie,  the  subject  often 
writes  back-handed,  or  backwards,  or  even  left-handed  with  the  right 
hand.  Now  if  the  transcription  be  turned  over  and  read  through  from 
the  back  there  may  be  deciphered  towards  the  right  end  of  the  third 
line,  below  '  Caractors,'  first,  the  letters  JOE,  backhand  and  rather 
indistinct;  and,  second,  the  letters  SOJ,  more  upright  and  better 
formed.  In  other  words,  the  youth,  without  knowing  it,  wrote  his  nick- 
name entire  and  half  of  his  given  name  in  reverse."— </&m/.  pp.  84-87. 


432  THE  REAL  MORMONISM 

In  spite  of  Riley's  confidence  in  his  solution  of  the  situation 
involved  in  the  discussion  of  this  "  transcript,"  it  is  desirable  to 
notice  that  there  is  no  evidence  adduced,  that  it  is  certainly  an 
example  of  "  automatically-writing  hand."  One  could  as  reason- 
ably claim  that  it  is  evidently  copied  from  some  original  by  a 
person  unaccustomed  to  copying  hieroglyphics  of  any  kind,  or  to 
do  any  very  neat  or  exact  work  with  a  pen.  For  this  sugges- 
tion one  might  offer  the  evidence  that,  assuming  the  actual  writ- 
ing was  begun  at  the  upper  left  hand  end,  as  with  all  modern 
scripts,  there  is  evidence  that  the  writing  was  started  with  large 
figures  and  careful  attention  to  details,  while,  as  the  work  pro- 
gresses, the  figures  become  smaller  and  less  carefully  formed, 
until,  as  one  might  assume,  the  last  three  lines  are  copied,  not 
only  smaller,  but  also  much  more  rapidly,  as  though  the  writer 
had  "got  his  speed." 

There  are  some  other  interesting  situations  involved  in  this 
document:  For  example,  although  evidently  written  from  left 
to  right,  and  from  the  top  line  down,  there  seems  to  be  a  sugges- 
tion that  the  text  copied,  or  intended  to  be  represented,  was 
written  from  right  to  left.  We  might  gather  this  from  the 
presence  of  the  three  black  squares,  in  the  second,  sixth,  and 
seventh  lines,  which  seem  to  suggest  some  kind  of  stops,  as 
between  periods  or  paragraphs.  The  last  one  is  on  the  left  end 
of  the  seventh  line.  Similarly,  several  of  the  characters  closely 
suggest  forms  familiar  in  the  hieratic  Egyptian,  as,  for  example, 
the  fifth  figure  from  the  right  hand  of  the  first  line.  This  is 
probably  the  one  referred  to  by  Riley  as  the  '*  pound  sterling 
sign,"  but  is  far  closer  to  the  hieratic  sign  for  "  S."  Similarly 
ill-judged  is  the  remark  that  we  see  here  the  "  signs  of  the 
Zodiac,"  which  are  "  only  half  concealed."  "  Only  half  "  must 
be  equivalent  to  "  very  effectually,"  since  careful  search  will 
enable  one  to  recognize  very  few  Zodiacal  suggestions  in  this 
document.  The  first  figure  on  the  top  line  might  be  the  sign  for 
Pisces,  were  it  not  that  the  right  hand  curve  is  turned  the  wrong 
way.  The  fourth  sign  in  this  same  line  might  be  called  Sagittar- 
ius by  anyone  in  search  of  resemblances.  Similarly,  the  fourth 
sign  from  the  left  end  of  line  four  might  be  held  to  represent 
the  planet  Mars,  badly  drawn,  were  it  not  for  the  fact  that  it 
shows  a  semi-circle,  instead  of  a  circle,  and  is  thus  a  figure 
frequently  seen  in  both  Hieratic  and  demotic  Egyptian  scripts. 
The  fifth  sign  from  the  left  end  of  the  last  line  might  be  held  to 
represent  the  astronomical  sign  for  the  moon's  nodes,  or  for  an 
opposition  of  planets,  but  this  figure,  contrary  to  our  friend's 
supposition,  does  not  appear  in  "  farmers'  almanacs,"  hence  must 
be  from  some  other  source.     None  of  these  signs  seem  to  have 


"  AUTOMATIC  WRITING 


433 


"Is. 


"^'^ 


.^  i>J  ^  j^  I  3  f  i4r  ";^:^i"» 


|lil|||ir^l:.| 


^ 


J>ci/^^    Ajei 


o  >>»  z  '-'  r<i  o  •—  !^     J-  >-' 
"u  o  o  "  c^  ' 


NjQ 

o 


C      ■*"^P'^  V.  ■"  (o  <"  •-  .   ti  ? 

S  to         tio<uiH"''  S-"     J;  o 


434  THE  REAL  MORMONISM 

much  concern  with  the  "planting  of  potatoes."  The  contention 
that  this  document  is  copied  from  some  Egyptian  original,  instead 
of  being  automatically  written  might  be  argued  from  a  number 
of  resemblances,  more  or  less  obvious.  Not  to  delay  with  this 
view,  however,  it  might  be  urged  in  opposition  to  Lamb's  criti- 
cism of  the  '*  capital  letter  H,"  the  second  sign  on  the  first  line 
(also  five  times  repeated),  might  be  held  to  represent  an 
amateurish  effort  to  represent  the  essential  lines  of  the  hieratic 
figure  of  the  crouching  lioness,  the  symbol  of  "  L."  The  other 
figures  mentioned  by  Lamb,  notably  those  held  to  resemble  Eng- 
lish numerals,  even  the  sign  for  ^,  the  ninth  from  the  left  of 
line  six,  are  not  foreign  in  appearance  to  some  signs  to  be  seen 
in  hieratic  manuscripts.  Riley's  "  JOe ''  and  "  SoJ  "  are,  as  he 
remarks,  ''  rather  indistinct,"  and  are  nearly  the  only  real  pre- 
sumption that  he  presents  in  favor  of  considering  this  document 
an  example  of  "  automatic  writing,"  or  simple  fabrication. 
Such  casual  resemblances,  of  which  many  could  be  found  in 
odd  and  foreign  texts,  need  not  be  considered  as  over-significant. 
As  a  matter  of  fact,  however,  when,  for  the  sake  of  argument, 
we  begin  to  explain  Smith's  activities  by  the  hypothesis  of 
automatism,  we  are  immediately  brought  face-to-face  with  a 
system  of  phenomena  by  no  means  definitely  hostile  to  the  claims 
made  by  and  for  him.  This  is  true,  because,  while  there  are 
numerous  theories  to  account  for  the  phenomena  observed  under 
this  condition,  there  is  no  clue  to  an  explanation  that  shall  cover 
all  its  phases.  There  are  also  various  kinds  of  automatism,  in- 
cluding perfectly  unconscious  activities  of  the  several  muscles 
and  senses,  as  well  as  the  writing  habit.  In  the  automatism  often 
occurring  with  psychic  epilepsy,  for  example,  the  acts  performed 
consist  sometimes  of  mere  repetitions,  as  when  the  patient  writes 
the  same  name  and  address  several  times  in  succession;  some- 
times of  ordinary  acts  done  apart  from  the  conscious  participa- 
tion of  the  will,  as  in  somnambulism.  In  automatic  writing  and 
automatic  speaking  there  seems  to  be  very  often  some  apparent 
"  alter  ego,"  a  real  doubling  of  the  personality,  which  furnishes, 
apparently,  the  excuse  for  the  spiritistic  explanation  of  a  dis- 
embodied "  control,"  or  some  kind  of  "  telepathic  "  communica- 
tion with  other  intelligences.  In  default  of  exact  knowledge  of 
the  causes  and  conditions  of  this  phenomenon,  many  eminent 
psychologists  have  strongly  inclined  to  the  theory  of  a  real  "  con- 
trol," apart  from  the  person  apparently  active.  Scientific  ex- 
amination of  the  phenomena  inclines,  of  course,  to  explanations 
involving  only  the  individual  self  in  question,  as  by  the  theory  of 
two  or  more  separate  states  of  consciousness,  really  distinct  from 
one  another,  as  if  appropriating  various  sets  of  cells  or  special 


"  AUTOMATIC  WRITING  "  435 

areas  of  the  brain.     In  discussing  this  matter.  Prof.  William 
James  writes  as  follows : 

"  In  *  mediumships '  or  *  possessions '  the  invasion  and  the  passing 
away  of  the  secondary  state  are  both  relatively  abrupt,  and  the  dura- 
tion of  the  state  is  usually  short  —  i.e.,  from  a  few  minutes  to  a  few 
hours.  Whenever  the  secondary  state  is  well  developed  no  memory  for 
aught  that  happened  during  it  remains  after  the  primary  conscious- 
ness comes  back.  The  subject  during  the  secondary  consciousness 
speaks,  writes,  or  acts  as  if  animated  by  a  foreign  person,  and  often 
names  this  foreign  person  and  gives  his  history.  In  old  times  the 
foreign  'control'  was  usually  a  demon,  and  is  so  now  in  communi- 
ties which  favor  that  belief.  With  us  (Americans)  he  gives  him- 
self out  at  the  worst  for  an  Indian  or  other  grotesquely  speaking 
but  harmless  personage.  Usually  he  purports  to  be  the  spirit  of  a 
dead  person  known  or  unknown  to  those  present,  and  the  subject 
is  then  what  we  call  a  *  medium.'  Mediumistic  possession  in  all  its 
grades  seems  to  form  a  perfectly  natural  special  type  of  alternate 
personality,  and  the  susceptibility  to  it  in  some  form  is  by  no  means 
an  uncommon  gift,  in  persons  who  have  no  other  obvious  nervous 
anomaly.  The  phenomena  are  very  intricate,  and  are  only  just  be- 
ginning to  be  studied  in  a  proper  scientific  way.  The  lowest  phase 
of  mediumship  is  automatic  writing,  and  the  lowest  grade  of  that  is 
where  the  subject  knows  what  words  are  coming,  but  feels  impelled  to 
write  them  as  if  from  without.  .  .  .  Inspirational  speaking,  playing,  on 
musical  instruments,  etc.,  also  belong  to  the  relatively  lower  phases 
of  possession,  in  which  the  normal  self  is  not  excluded  from  conscious 
participation  in  the  performance,  though  their  initiative  seems  to  come 
from  elsewhere.  .  .  .  One  curious  thing  about  trance-utterances  is 
their  generic  similarity  in  different  individuals.  ...  If  *  he  (the  con- 
trol) ventures  on  higher  intellectual  flights,  he  abounds  in  a  curiously 
vague  optimistic  philosophy-and-water,  in  which  phrases  about  spirit, 
harmony,  beauty,  law,  progression,  development,  etc.,  keep  recurring.  It 
seems  exactly  as  if  one  author  composed  more  than  half  of  the 
trance-messages,  no  matter  by  whom  they  are  uttered.  Whether  all 
subconscious  selves  are  peculiarly  susceptible  to  a  certain  stratum  of 
the  Zeitgeist^  and  get  their  inspiration  from  it,  I  know  not;  but  this 
is  obviously  the  case  with  the  secondary  selves  which  become  'de- 
veloped '  in  spiritualist  circles.  There  the  beginnings  of  the  medium 
trance  are  indistinguishable  from  effects  of  hypnotic  suggestion.  The 
subject  assumes  the  role  of  a  medium  simply  because  opinion  expects  it  of 
him  under  the  conditions  which  are  present.  .  .  .  But  the  odd  thing  is 
that  persons  unexposed  to  spiritualist  traditions  will  so  often  act  in 
the  same  way  when  they  become  entranced,  speak  in  the  name  of  the 
departed,  go  through  the  motions  of  their  several  death  agonies,  send 
messages  about  their  happy  home  in  the  summer-land,  and  describe  the 
ailments  of  those  present.  I  have  no  theory  to  publish  of  these  cases, 
several  of  which  I  have  personally  seen." — Principles  of  Psychology, 
Vol.   I.  pp.  393-394- 

It  is  interesting  to  read  such  a  resume  of  this  "  very  intricate  " 
phase  of  mental  activity  from  the  pen  of  so  careful  and  tireless 
an  investigator  as  Prof.  James,  and  to  find  that  there  are  very 
many  phenomena  that  do  not  admit,  apparently,  classification 
under  a  theory  of  "  secondary  consciousness."  It  is  perfectly 
well  known  that  Prof.  James  was  strongly  inclined  to  accept 


436  THE  REAL  MORMONISM 

certain  phases  of  the  spiritistic  theory,  which  involves,  in  effect, 
that  he  was  willing  to  admit  that  some  phenomena  could  possibly 
be  explained  by  assuming  the  activity  of  some  person  or  entity 
apart  from  that  of  the  "medium"  himself.  This  explanation, 
indeed,  is  a  part  of  human  tradition,  as  already  suggested,  and 
has  been  invoked  to  account  for  the  alleged  influences  of  angels, 
demons,  divine  personages,  even  of  the  spirits  of  the  departed, 
long  before  the  rise  of  modem  spiritism.  The  theory  of  an  extra- 
personal  "  control "  of  some  order  seems  to  occur  strongly  in 
cases  wherein  the  ''subject"  or  "medium"  speaks  or  acts  on 
a  basis  of  knowledge  quite  foreign  to  his  normal  or  conscious 
equipment,  as  when  he  becomes  a  good  musician  "  under  con- 
trol," although  the  reverse  in  normal  conditions,  or,  when  he 
speaks  as  if  seeing  or  hearing  things  and  persons  at  a  distance, 
particularly  when*  he  reports  correctly,  as  occasionally  happens, 
if  the  accounts  of  investigators  are  to  be  accepted.  It  is  thus  pos- 
sible to  say  that  the  very  theory  of  control  by  an  external  person- 
ality, as  assumed  by  Prof.  Nelson,  as  quoted  above,  to  explain 
the  activities  of  Joseph  Smith,  may  be  justified,  apparently,  in 
great  measure,  by  independent  psychological  investigation.  Prof. 
James,  in  the  work  above  quoted,  describes  at  length  a  case  of 
"  automatic  writing "  which  is  singularly  analogous  to  the  one 
under  discussion.     He  writes: 

"As  an  example  of  the  automatic  writing  performances  I  will 
quote  from  an  account  of  his  own  case  kindly  furnished  me  by  Mr. 
Sidney  Dean  of  Warren,  R.  I.,  member  of  Congress  from  Connecticut 
from  1855  to  1859,  who  has  been  all  his  life  a  robust  and  active  journal- 
ist, author,  and  man  of  affairs.  He  has  for  many  years  been  a  writing 
subject,  and  has  a  large  collection  of  manuscript  automatically  pro- 
duced. 

"  *  Some  of  it,*  he  writes,  *  is  in  hieroglyph,  or  strange  compounded 
arbitrary  characters,  each  series  possessing  a  seeming  unity  in  general 
design  or  character,  followed  by  what  purports  to  be  a  translation^  or 
rendering  into  mother  English.  I  never  attempted  the  seemingly  im- 
possible feat  of  copying  the  characters.  They  were  cut  with  the  pre- 
cision of  a  graver's  tool,  and  generally  with  a  single  rapid  stroke  of  the 
pencil.  Many  languages,  some  obsolete  and  passed  from  history,  are 
professedly  given.  To  see  them  would  satisfy  you  that  no  one  could 
copy  them  except  by  tracing. 

" '  These,  however,  are  but  a  small  part  of  the  phenomena.  The 
"  automatic  "  has  given  place  to  the  impressional,  and  when  the  work  is 
in  progress  I  am  in  the  normal  condition,  and  seemingly  two  minds, 
intelligences,  persons,  are  practically  engaged.  The  writing  is  in  my  own 
hand  but  the  dictation  not  of  my  own  mind  and  will,  but  that  of  another, 
upon  subjects  of  which  I  can  have  no  knowledge  and  hardly  a  theory; 
and  I,  myself,  consciously  criticize  the  thought,  fact,  mode  of  expressinf 
it,  etc.,  while  the  hand  is  recording  the  subject-matter  and  even  th 
words  impressed  to  be  written.  If  /  refuse  to  write  the  sentence,  or 
even  the  word,  the  impression  instantly  ceases,  and  my  willingness 
must  be  mentally  expressed  before  the  work  is  resumed,  and  it  is  re- 


"  AUTOMATIC  WRITING ''  437 

sumed  at  the  point  of  cessation,  even  if  it  should  be  the  middle  of  a 
sentence.  Sentences  are  commenced  without  knowledge  of  mine  as  to 
their  subject  or  ending.  In  fact,  I  have  never  known  in  advance  the 
subject  of  disquisition. 

"'There  is  in  progress  now,  at  uncertain  times,  not  subject  to  my 
will,  a  series  of  twenty-four  chapters  upon  the  scientific  features  of 
life,  moral,  spiritual,  eternal.  .  .  .  Each  chapter  is  signed  by  the  name 
of  some  person  who  has  lived  on  earth, — ^some  with  whom  I  have 
been  personally  acquainted,  others  known  in  history.  ...  I  know  noth- 
ing of  the  alleged  authorship  of  any  chapter  until  it  is  completed  and 
the  name  impressed  and  appended.  ...  I  am  interested  not  only  in  the 
reputed  authorship, —  of  which  I  have  nothing  corroborative, —  but  in 
the  philosophy  taught,  of  which  I  was  in  ignorance  until  these  chapters 
appeared.  From  my  standpoint  of  life  —  which  has  been  that  of  Bib- 
lical orthodoxy  —  the  philosophy  is  new,  seems  to  be  reasonable,  and  is 
logically  put.  I  confess  to  an  inability  to  successfully  controvert  it 
to  my  own  satisfaction. 

"  *  It  is  an  intelligent  ego  who  writes,  or  else  the  influence  assumes 
individuality,  which  practically  makes  of  the  influence  a  personality.  It 
is  not  myself;  of  that  I  am  conscious  at  every  step  of  the  process.  I 
have  also  traversed  the  whole  field  of  the  claims  of  "  unconscious  cere- 
bration," so  called,  so  far  as  I  am  competent  to  critically  examine  it,  and 
it  fails,  as  a  theory,  in  numberless  points,  when  applied  to  this  strange 
work  through  me.  .  .  .  The  easiest  and  most  natural  solution  to  me  is 
to  admit  the  claim  made,  i.e.,  that  it  is  a  decarnated  intelligence  who 
writes.  But  who?  that  is  the  question.  The  names  of  scholars  and 
thinkers  who  once  lived  are  affixed  to  the  most  ungrammatical  and 
weakest  of  bosh.  .  .  . 

"  *  It  seems  reasonable  to  me  —  upon  the  hypothesis  that  it  is  a  person 
using  another's  mind  or  brain  —  that  there  must  be  more  or  less  of 
that  other's  style  or  tone  incorporated  in  the  message,  and  that  to  the 
unseen  personality,  i.e.,  the  power  which  impresses,  the  thought,  the 
fact,  or  the  philosophy,  and  not  the  style  or  tone,  belongs.  For  in- 
stance, while  the  influence  is  impressing  my  brain  with  the  greatest 
force  and  rapidity,  so  that  my  pencil  fairly  flies  over  the  paper  to  record 
the  thoughts,  I  am  conscious  that,  in  many  cases,  the  vehicle  of  the 
thought,  i.e.,  the  language,  is  very  naturally  and  familiar  to  rhe,  as 
if,  somehow,  my  personality  as  a  writer  was  getting  mixed  up  with 
the  message.  And,  again,  the  style,  language,  everything,  is  entirely 
foreign  to  my  own  style.' "— /fctrf.  pp.  394-396. 

This  description  and  partial  analysis  of  an  unusual  condition 
by  a  person,  evidently  intelligent  and  capable,  gives  the  reader 
a  very  good  idea  of  the  conditions  occasionally  present  in  auto- 
matic mental  action  of  several  varieties.  The  phase  mentioned, 
wherein  foreign  ideas  are  expressed  in  what  this  "  subject " 
states  are  his  own  words  and  forms,  is  certainly  significant  in 
the  present  connection.  Of  course,  in  admitting  that  "  posses- 
sion "  or  "  mediumship "  may  be  something  quite  other  than 
some  merely  unusual  and  obscure  phase  of  brain  activity,  we  do 
no  more  than  admit  that  the  traditional  explanation  of  the  in- 
volved phenomena  may  be  correct.  This  might  involve  the 
theory  that  all  people  have  a  certain  "  spiritual "  or  "  psychic  " 
sense  or  susceptibility  —  whatever  one  may  call  it  —  by  which 


438  THE  REAL  MORMONISM 

impressions  may  be  received  of  any  intelligences  or  influences, 
embodied  or  disembodied,  that  may  be  capable  of  affecting  it. 
Such  may  range  in  dignity  from  the  stupidest  among  the  de- 
parted, or  the  meanest  of  "  evil  spirits,"  to  angels  or  divine 
personages.     On  this  point  Prof.  James  remarks: 

"  I  am  myself  persuaded  by  abundant  acquaintance  with  the  trances 
of  one  medium  that  the  '  control '  may  be  altogether  different  from  any 
possible  waking  self  of  the  person.  In  the  case  I  have  in  mind,  it 
professes  to  be  a  certain  departed  French  doctor;  and  is,  I  am  con- 
vinced, acquainted  with  facts  about  the  circumstances,  and  the  living 
and  dead  relatives  and  acquaintances,  of  numberless  sitters  whom  the 
medium  never  met  before,  and  of  whom  she  has  never  heard  the 
names.  .  .  .  Many  persons  have  found  evidence  conclusive  to  their 
minds  that  in  some  cases  the  control  is  really  the  departed  spirit  whom 
it  pretends  to  be.  The  phenomena  shade  off  so  gradually  into  cases 
where  this  is  obviously  absurd,  that  the  presumption  (quite  apart  from 
a  priori  'scientific'  prejudice)  is  great  against  its  being  true." — Ibid. 
P'  396. 

In  the  last  paragraph,  of  course,  Prof.  James  bases  his  judg- 
ment on  the  assumption  that  all  phenomena  of  similar  character, 
and  occurring  under  similar  conditions,  are  to  be  explained  on 
one  theory.  The  facts  mentioned  may  be  held  to  represent  merely 
a  series  of  gradations  in  the  "  vividness "  of  the  impressions 
originated  in  and  received  from  a  common  source  or  environ- 
ment. Thus,  admitting  on  his  authority,  as,  apparently,  we  must, 
that  the  "  French  doctor "  has  the  reported  ability  to  discover 
facts  unknown  to  the  "  medium  "  in  her  waking  state,  it  is  evi- 
dent that  there  is  no  one  theory  that  can  be  invoked  to  explain 
everything. 

As  already  suggested,  the  Book  of  Mormon,  considered  as  a 
literary  production,  might  have  originated  in  any  one  of  several 
different  ways  —  even  by  the  assumed  action  of  an  invisible  or 
distant  personage  upon  the  mind  of  its  writer  or  "author  and 
proprietor  " —  and  have,  possibly,  the  same  character  and  con- 
tents. However,  the  real  object  of  any  study  should  be  to  dis- 
cover, as  far  as  possible,  the  significance  of  the  book  to  the 
movement  supposedly  based  on  its  teachings,  rather  than  to  guess, 
merely  whence  it  may  have  come,  or  how  it  happened  to  be 
written.  Whatever  may  have  been  the  part  played  by  Joseph 
Smith  in  this  connection,  it  is  altogether  certain  that  he  was 
sincerely  convinced  of  the  truth  of  its  teachings,  and  consistently 
adherent  to  them  in  all  his  published  utterances.  It  is  asking 
a  little  too  much  of  popular  credulity  to  expect  belief  in  the 
statement  that  an  *'  unlettered  youth,"  such  as  he  is  represented 
to  have  been,  should  be  able  to  take  a  work  written  by  some 
other  hand,  and  so  thoroughly  assimilate  its  teachings  that  he 
could  become  their  faithful  exponent.     It  is  also  nothing  less 


"  AUTOMATIC  WRITING ''  439 

^than  a  deliberate  insult  to  public  intelligence  to  ask  belief  in  the 
hypothesis  that  a  youth,  not  only  ignorant,  but  depraved,  as  they 
tell  us,  could  have  originated  any  such  book,  let  alone  devote  his 
life  to  publishing  its  teachings.  Similarly  beneath  contempt  are 
the  familiar  stories,  dating  from  Howe  and  Tucker,  to  the  effect 
that  Smith,  having  found  some  white  sand,  or  a  brick,  covered 
it  with  a  napkin  or  other  rag,  and  on  persuading  his  family  that 
it  was  a  "  gold  bible,"  such  as  was  reported  to  have  been  found 
in  Canada,  remarked  to  a  friend  —  a  certain  loquacious  IngersoU 

— "  I've  got  the  d d  fools  fixed,  and  will  carry  out  the  fun." 

Nevertheless,  on  the  recognized  theory  that  any  argument  is 
good  when  used  against  the  Mormons,  it  is  confidently  served 
up  by  the  latest  critics  of  Mormonism,  as  if  historically  es- 
tablished. If  Smith  was  a  man  possessed  of  ability  sufficient  to 
stir  up  all  the  antagonism,  clerical  and  otherwise,  that  still  per- 
sists, we  may  be  logical  in  expecting  him  to  be  able  to  perform 
even  more  surprising  things. 

Of  course,  as  must  be  evident  to  any  candid  and  unprejudiced 
student  of  the  history  of  Joseph  Smith  and  of  Mormonism,  the 
origin  of  all  the  bitter  opposition  and  persecution,  which  has 
disgraced  our  history,  lay  in  the  mere  fact  that  he,  a  man  outside 
of  the  clerical  profession  —  nor  even  officially  connected  with 
any  of  even  the  most  insignificant  of  Protestant  sects  —  actually 
had  the  *'  presumption  "  to  claim  divine  revelation  and  guidance, 
in  the  work  of  founding  a  church  and  promulgating  a  gospel  at 
variance  with,  and  in  condemnation  of,  all  other  bodies  whatever. 
It  was  for  this  reason  that  the  numerous  persecutions  of  this  man 
and  his  adherents  were  usually,  if  not  always,  led  by  ordained 
Protestant  preachers,  or  launched  by  their  direct  instigation. 
Apart  from  this  "  breach  of  proprieties  " —  for  his  persecutors 
did  not  have  the  specious  excuse  of  "  polygamy  "  until  some  of 
their  most  brutal  persecutions  had  been  years  in  history  —  Joseph 
Smith  holds  precisely  the  same  relation  to  the  Church  founded 
by  him  as  has  been  ascribed,  in  effect,  to  all  other  "  reformers  " 
and  founders  of  religious  bodies.  Some  of  these,  like  George 
Fox  and  Emmanuel  Swedenborg  —  both  out  of  the  clerical  pro- 
fession, hence  both  severely  abused,  criticized,  and  misrepresented, 
in  the  same  manner  as  Joseph  Smith  —  have  made  direct  claims 
to  divine  revelation  and  guidance.  Others,  such  as  Luther, 
Calvin,  Wesley,  and  numerous  *'  reformers "  of  smaller  im- 
portance, while  making  no  such  claim  on  their  own  behalf,  have 
been  credited  with  an  authority  and  understanding  of  religious 
truths,  which  are  not  classed  as  of  direct  divine  impartation 
merely  because  no  such  term  has  been  applied  to  explain  their 
activities.     It  remains,  nevertheless,  that,  until  within  a  very 


440  THE  REAL  MORMONISM 

few  years,  before  the  disintegration  of  Protestantism  began,  these 
men  have  been  regarded  by  their  respective  followers  as  the 
true,  authorized  and  sufficient  guides  to  an  understanding  of  the 
truths  of  God.  They  have  had  ascribed  to  them  all  the  func- 
tions of  prophets  and  apostles,  except  the  right  to  be  so  called. 
Indeed,  in  view  of  the  varied  deportment  of  Calvin,  and  numer- 
ous other  "  Christian  "  lights,  the  charges  of  "  ignorance  "  and 
"  rascality  "  might  seem  to  lie,  not  altogether  on  one  side.  If, 
then,  the  teachings  of  the  Book  of  Mormon,  of  Smith,  and  of 
the  Church  of  Jesus  Christ  of  Latter-day  Saints,  are  not  proved 
to  be  hostile  to  Scripture  and  sound  reason,  they  are  entitled  to 
the  same  respectful  consideration  and  attention  as  are  those  of 
our  Luthers,  Wesleys,  Calvins  and  other  **  prophets."  If,  as 
would  not  be  difficult  to  prove,  they  are  of  a  far  more  "  practi- 
cal "  nature,  and  even  better  calculated  to  meet  the  needs  of  the 
world,  morally  and  sociologically,  if  no  otherwise,  the  inference 
is  that,  in  these  respects,  at  least,  they  come  nearer  to  the  ideal 
of  truth.  But,  as  the  truth  of  what  a  man  teaches  is  not  to  be 
judged  on  the  basis  of  knowledge  regarding  his  personality, 
history  or  local  reputation, —  be  these  the  best  or  the  worst  pos- 
sible —  so  a  book  is  not  to  be  judged  as  a  "  divine  revelation," 
because  of  its  "  elegant  diction  "  and  "  lofty  flights  " ;  nor  rejected 
in  this  same  character,  because  of  defects  in  these  same  par- 
ticulars. "  Ripe  scholars,"  and  other  varieties  of  fault-finders, 
are  now  busily  picking  flaws  in  the  Bible  itself,  and  gaining 
adherents,  even  among  professing  Christians  —  and  many  of 
these  absurdly  argiie  that  the  "  higher  criticism,"  so  called,  is 
laying  the  foundations  of  a  "  deeper  and  more  vital  faith."  It 
is  possible  to  find  faults  with  any  book,  and  condemn  its  literary 
and  other  quaHties,  just  as  the  "  higher  critics "  mangle  the 
Bible.  It  is  no  argument.  Obviously,  an  excellent  method  of  set- 
tling such  a  dispute,  and  finding  out  the  real  truth  of  the  claim 
of  divine  authority,  supposed  to  be  back  of  a  book,  is  to  apply 
the  test  prescribed  in  the  Book  of  Mormon  itself : 

"Behold  I  would  exhort  you  that  when  ye  shall  read  these  things, 
if  it  be  wisdom  in  God  that  ye  should  read  them  .  .  .  that  ye  would  ask 
God,  the  eternal  Father,  in  the  name  of  Christ,  if  these  things  are  not 
true;  and  if  ye  shall  ask  with  a  sincere  heart,  with  real  intent,  having 
faith  in  Christ,  he  will  manifest  the  truth  of  it  unto  you,  by  the  power 
of  the  Holy  Ghost;  and  by  the  power  of  the  Holy  Ghost  ye  may  know 
the  truth  of  all  things." — Moroni,  x.  3-5. 

No  anti-Mormon  has  ever  stated  that  he  has  followed  this 
advice,  and  received  no  "  testimony."  This  may  be,  however, 
because  anti-Mormons  are  afraid  that  they  might  learn  "  some- 
thing disagreeable." 


NOTE  I.— DANITES  OR  DESTROYING  ANGELS. 

The  stories  persistently  circulated  about  a  murderous  order  among  the 
Mormons,  known  as  "  Danites,"  or  "  Destroying  angels,"  deserve  some  kind 
of  brief  notice  in  a  book  like  this.  As  a  matter  of  fact,  in  spite  of  the 
repetition  of  this  story  by  all  anti-Mormon  writers,  all  on  the  same  alle- 
gations at  the  start,  there  is  no  respectable  evidence  that  any  such  order 
or  society  was  ever  prominent  in  Mormon  affairs,  or  that  it  ever  com- 
mitted the  atrocities  charged  by  enemies.  The  sole  excuse  for  the  tale 
in  the  beginning  was  the  "affidavit"  uttered  by  Thomas  B.  Marsh,  and 
affirmed  by  Orson  Hyde  (page  102),  which,  however,  was  negatived  by 
their  subsequent  return  to  the  Church.  The  following  account  of  the 
matter  appears  in  the  journal  of  Joseph  Smith,  among  entries  made  some- 
time in  the  latter  part  of  1838: 

"  While  the  evil  spirits  were  raging  up  and  down  in  the  state  (Missouri) 
to  raise  mobs  against  the  *  Mormons,'  Satan  himself  was  no  less  busy  in 
striving  to  stir  up  mischief  in  the  camp  of  the  Saints :  and  among  the  most 
conspicuous  of  his  willing  devotees  was  one  Doctor  Sampson  Avard,  who 
had  been  in  the  Church  but  a  short  time,  and  who,  although  he  had  gen- 
erally behaved  with  a  tolerable  degree  of  external  decorum,  was  secretly 
aspiring  to  be  the  greatest  of  the  great,  and  become  the  leader  of  the 
people.  This  was  his  pride  and  his  folly,  but  as  he  had  no  hopes  of  ac- 
complishing it  by  gaining  the  hearts  of  the  people  openly  he  watched  his 
opportunity  with  the  brethren  —  at  a  time  when  mobs  oppressed,  robbed, 
whipped,  burned,  plundered  and  slew,  till  forbearance  seemed  no  longer 
a  virtue,  and  nothing  but  the  grace  of  Gk)d  without  measure  could  sup- 
port men  under  such  trials  —  to  form  a  secret  combination  by  which  he 
might  rise  a  mighty  conqueror,  at  the  expense  and  the  overthrow  of  the 
Church.  This  he  tried  to  accomplish  by  his  smooth,  flattering,  and  winning 
speeches,  which  he  frequently  made  to  his  associates,  while  his  room  was 
well  guarded  by  some  of  his  followers,  ready  to  give  him  the  signal  on 
the  approach  of  anyone  who  would  not  approve  of  his  measures. 

"  In  these  proceedings  he  stated  that  he  had  the  sanction  of  the  heads 
of  the  Church  for  what  he  was  about  to  do ;  and  by  his  smiles  and  flattery, 
persuaded  them  to  believe  it,  and  proceeded  to  administer  to  the  few 
under  his  control,  an  oath,  binding  them  to  everlasting  secrecy  to  every- 
thing which  should  be  communicated  to  them  by  himself.  Thus  Avard 
initiated  members  into  his  band,  firmly  binding  them,  by  all  that  was  sacred, 
in  the  protection  of  each  other  in  all  things  that  were  lawful;  and  was 
careful  to  picture  out  a  great  glory  that  was  then  hovering  over  the  Church, 
and  would  soon  burst  upon  the  Saints  as  a  cloud  by  day,  and  a  pillar  of 
fire  by  night,  and  would  soon  unveil  the  slumbering  mysteries  of  heaven, 
which  would  gladden  the  hearts  and  arouse  the  stupid  spirits  of  the  Saints 
of  the  latter  day,  and  fill  their  hearts  with  that  love  which  is  unspeakable 
and  full  of  glory,  and  arm  them  with  power,  that  the  gates  of  hell  could 
not  prevail  against  them ;  and  would  often  affirm  to  his  company  that  the 
principal  men  of  the  Church  had  put  him  forward  as  a  spokesman,  and 
a  leader  of  this  band,  which  he  named  Danites. 

"Thus  he  duped  many,  which  gave  him  the  opportunity  of  figuring  as 
a  person  of  importance.  He  held  his  meetings  daily,  and  carried  on  his 
crafty  work  in  great  haste,  to  prevent  mature  reflection  upon  the  matter 
by  his  followers,  until  he  had  them  bound  under  the  penalties  of  death 

441 


442  THE  REAL  MORMONISM 

to  keep  the  secrets  and  certain  signs  of  the  organization  by  which  they 
were  to  know  each  other  by  day  or  night. 

"  After  these  performances,  he  held  meetings  to  organize  his  men  into 
companies  of  tens  and  fifties,  appointing  a  captain  over  each  company. 
After  completing  this  organization,  he  went  on  to  teach  the  members  of 
it  their  duty  under  the  orders  of  their  captains;  he  then  called  his  cap- 
tains together  and  taught  them  in  a  secluded  place,  as  follows: 

"  *  My  brethren,  as  you  have  been  chosen  to  be  our  leading  men,  our 
captains  to  rule  over  this  last  kingdom  of  Jesus  Christ  —  and  you  have 
been  organized  after  the  ancient  order  —  I  have  called  upon  you  here 
to-day  to  teach  you,  and  instruct  you  in  the  things  that  pertain  to  your 
duty,  and  to  show  you  what  your  privileges  are,  and  what  they  soon 
will  be.  Knew  ye  not,  brethren,  that  it  soon  will  be  your  privilege  to  take 
your  respective  companies  and  go  out  on  a  scout  on  the  borders  of  the 
settlements,  and  take  to  yourselves  spoils  of  the  goods  of  the  ungodly 
Gentiles?  for  it  is  written,  the  riches  of  the  Gentiles  shall  be  consecrated 
to  my  people,  the  house  of  Israel;  and  thus  you  will  waste  away  the  Gen- 
tiles by  robbing  and  plundering  them  of  their  property;  and  in  this  way 
we  will  build  up  the  kingdom  of  God,  and  roll  forth  the  little  stone  that 
Daniel  saw  cut  out  of  the  mountain  without  hands,  and  roll  forth  until 
it  filled  the  whole  earth.  For  this  is  the  very  way  that  God  destines  to 
build  up  His  kingdom  in  the  last  days.  If  any  of  us  should  be  recognized, 
who  can  harm  us?  for  we  will  stand  by  each  other  and  defend  one 
another  in  all  things.  If  our  enemies  swear  against  us,  we  can  swear  also. 
(The  captains  were  confounded  this,  but  Avard  continued).  Why  do  you 
startle  at  this,  brethren?  As  the  Lord  liveth,  I  would  swear  to  a  lie  to 
clear  any  of  you;  and  if  this  would  not  do,  I  would  put  them  or  him 
under  the  sand  as  Moses  did  the  Egyptian ;  and  in  this  way  we  will  con- 
secrate much  unto  the  Lord,  and  build  up  His  kingdom;  and  who  can 
stand  against  us?  And  if  any  of  us  transgress,  we  will  deal  with  him 
amongst  ourselves.  And  if  any  one  of  this  Danite  society  reveals  any 
of  these  things,  I  will  put  him  where  the  dogs  cannot  bite  him.' 

"At  this  lecture  all  of  the  officers  revolted,  and  said  it  would  not  do, 
they  would  not  go  into  any  such  measures,  and  it  would  not  do  to  name 
any  such  thing ;  '  such  proceedings  would  be  in  open  violation  of  the  laws 
of  our  country,  would  be  robbing  our  fellow-citizens  of  their  rights,  and 
are  not  according  to  the  language  and  doctrine  of  Christ,  or  of  the  Church 
of  Latter-day  Saints.' 

"  Avard  replied,  and  said  there  were  no  laws  that  were  executed  in  jus- 
tice, and  he  cared  not  for  them,  this  being  a  different  dispensation,  a  dis- 
pensation of  the  fullness  of  times ;  in  this  dispensation  he  learned  from  the 
Scriptures  that  the  kingdom  of  God  was  to  put  down  all  other  kingdoms, 
and  the  Lord  Himself  was  to  reign,  and  His  laws  alone  were  the  laws 
that  would  exist. 

"  Avard's  teachings  were  still  manfully  rejected  by  all.  Avard  then  said 
that  they  had  better  drop  the  subject,  although  he  had  received  his 
authority  from  Sidney  Rigdon  the  evening  before.  The  meeting  then 
broke  up ;  the  eyes  of  those  present  were  opened,  Avard's  crafty  was  no 
longer  in  the  dark,  and  but  very  little  confidence  was  placed  in  him,  even 
by  the  warmest  of  the  members  of  his  Danite  scheme. 

"When  the  knowledge  of  Avard's  rascality  came  to  the  Presidency  of 
the  Church,  he  was  cut  off  from  the  Church,  and  every  means  proper  used 
to  destroy  his  influence,  at  which  he  was  highly  incensed,  and  went  about 
whispering  his  evil  insinuations,  but  finding  every  effort  unavailing,  he 
again  turned  conspirator,  and  sought  to  make  friends  with  the  mob. 

"And  here  let  it  be  distinctly  understood,  that  these  companies  of  tens 


NOTES  443 

and  fifties  got  up  by  Avard,  were  altogether  separate  from  those  com- 
panies of  tens  and  fifties  organized  by  the  brethren  for  self-defense,  in 
case  of  an  attack  from  the  mob.  This  latter  organization  was  called  into 
existence  more  particularly  that  in  this  time  of  alarm  no  family  or  person 
might  be  neglected;  therefore,  one  company  would  be  engaged  in  draw- 
ing wood,  another  in  cutting  it,  another  in  gathering  corn,  another  in 
grinding,  another  in  butchering,  another  in  distributing  meat,  etc.,  etc.,  so 
that  all  should  be  employed  in  turn,  and  no  one  lack  the  necessaries  of 
life.  Therefore,  let  no  one  hereafter,  by  mistake  or  design,  confound  this 
organization  of  the  Church  for  good  and  righteous  purposes,  with  the 
organization  of  the  *  Danites '  of  the  apostate  Avard,  which  died  almost 
before  it  existed." — History  of  the  Church,  Vol.  Ill,  pp.  178-182. 

NOTE  II.—  POLYGAMY  AND  THE  LAW  AS  INTERPRETED  BY 

CHRIST. 

On  page  217  of  the  present  volume  the  remark  occurs  that  the  institu- 
tion of  polygamy,  or  plural  marriage,  as  recognized,  or  allowed,  by  the 
Mosaic  Law,  was  recognized  by  Christ  Himself,  and  not  repudiated.  The 
evidence  for  this  statement  is  to  be  found  in  such  analysis  of  Christ's 
teachings  on  marriage  and  divorce,  as  are  given  in  the  little  volume,  **  The 
Scriptural  Doctrine  of  Divorce,"  by  Edward  Williams,  A.M.  This  author 
adopts  the  thesis  that  the  dicta  of  Jesus  upon  the  subject  of  divorce  are 
all  framed  in  perfect  harmony  with  the  precedent  principles  of  Jewish 
law,  and  are  to  be  understood  only  in  their  relation  to  them.  Commenting 
on  the  teachings  involved  in  Christ's  divorce  dicta  (Matt.  v.  32;  xix.  9; 
Luke  xvi.  18;  Mark  x.  11-12),  he  says: 

"  In  every  one  of  Jesus'  dicta  on  marriage  and  divorce  He  is  as  surely 
combating  an  existing  evil  as  enunciating  a  vital  principle.  Dr.  Scott,  a 
thoroughly  conservative,  and  highly  scholarly  commentator,  says  (in  loc. 
Deut.  xxiy:  i)  *  In  the  days  of  Christ  the  Jewish  teachers,  having  con- 
strued this  permission  into  a  commandment,  extended  it  to  the  most 
frivolous  matters :  so  that  a  licentious  mind  could  not  desire  more  allow- 
ance. Hence,  divorces  prevailed  to  the  disuse  of  polygamy  and  to  the  still 
greater  hardship  of  the  women  who  were  sent  away,  one  after  another, 
under  color  of  this  law,  on  various  pretexts,  to  make  way  for  a  new  object 
of  the  roving  affections.' 

"In  support  of  the  accuracy  of  this  statement  another  commentator 
remarks,  'Josephus  saith,  "The  law  runs  thus.  He  that  will  be  disjoined 
from  his  wife  for  any  cause  whatsoever,  as  many  such  cases  there  are,  let 
him  give  her  a  bill  of  divorce,"  and  he  confesseth  that  he  himself  put 
away  his  wife  after  she  had  borne  him  three  children,  because  he  was  not 
pleased  with  her  behavior.'  Rabbi  Hillel's  interpretation  of  the  Law  seems 
to  amount  to  an  almost  unlimited  freedom  in  the  repudiation  of  wives, 
and  the  familiar  quotation  from  some  unnamed  rabbi,  to  the  effect  that, 
*  if  a  man  sees  a  woman,  whom  he  loves  better  than  his  wife,  let  him 
divorce  his  wife  and  marry  her,'  may  be  considered  a  fair  sample  of  the 
opinions  current  in  Jesus'  time. 

"  It  may  be  readily  seen  that  Jesus*  objection  to  such  a  practice  as  this 
is  on  perfectly  Mosaic  grounds;  for,  in  the  first  place,  contrary  to  Mosaic 
Law,  the  woman  is  faultless,  hence  not  divorceable;  secondly,  she  is  re- 
pudiated in  order  to  make  room  for  another  wife,  which  is  impiously 
contrary  to  the  provisions  of  Exod.  xxi.  10,  which  specifies :  *  If  he  take 
him  another  wife;  her  food,  her  raiment  and  her  duty  of  marriage  shall 
he  not  diminish.'  We  can  see,  therefore,  with  how  great  consistency  this 
practice  of  'covering  violence  as  with  a  garment'  and  'dealing  trcacher- 


444  THE  REAL  MORMONISM 

ously'  with  a  wife,  operating,  as  it  certainly  did  in  Jesus'  time,  not  only 
to  iniquitously  dissolve  many  marriage  contracts,  but  also,  and  particularly, 
to  practically  annihilate  the  very  institution  of  matrimony  can  be  de- 
scribed by  no  gentler  term  than  adultery. 

"  In  divorcing  a  legally  faultless  wife,  in  order  that  he  may  marry  another, 
a  man  is  declared  guilty,  not  because  of  either  the  divorcing  or  the  re- 
marrying —  divorce,  remarriage  and  polygamy  are  all  allowed  by  the 
Mosaic  statutes  —  but  solely  and  entirely  because  the  motive  and  object 
of  divorce  is  the  remarriage.  For  this  reason  the  repudiating  husband  who 
does  not  immediately  remarry  is  not  accused  of  direct  offence;  his  only 
fault  being  that  in  the  act  of  divorcing  a  wife,  apart  from  grave  and 
sufficient  reason,  he  causes  her  thereby  to  adulterate  (Matt.  v.  32),  prob- 
ably in  the  event  of  her  taking  a  second  husband.  The  consistency  of  this 
dictum  with  legal  principles  is  readily  perceived  when  we  consider  that  a 
woman  illegally  divorced  is,  in  reality,  still  in  coverture;  and  that  in 
contracting  a  union  with  another  man,  she  is  not  married,  but,  technically 
and  morally,  adulterous. 

"  To  sum  up,  then,  the  occasions  of  the  crime  of  adultery,  as  we  have 
thus  far  discovered  them,  we  find,  on  lines  strictly  Mosaic,  that : 

"  (i)  A  husband  is  guilty  in  marrying  one  woman  after  groundlessly 
divorcing  another,  in  order  to  make  room  for  that  second  woman. 

"  (2)  A  wife  so  divorced  is  guilty  in  taking  a  second  husband  when  not 
legally  free  herself. 

"  (3)  The  second  husband  is  guilty  in  marrying  a  woman,  who,  strictly 
speaking,  is  still  another's  wife. 

"  If,  however,  as  some  hold,  the  Lord,  in  His  dicta  on  divorce,  is  only 
advocating  the  original  and  essential  *  indissolubleness '  of  all  ratified  mar- 
riages, with  reference  to  no  law  or  practice  whatsoever,  it  were  difficult, 
indeed,  to  understand  how  it  is  that  He  makes  adulterous  a  man  marrying 
a  repudiated  wife  —  and  his  motives  for  so  doing  may  have  been  of  the 
noblest  and  most  Mosaic  character,  to  provide  her  a  home  and  protection, 
also  quite  in  harmony  with  modern  laws  on  the  subject,  since  he  is  rnarry- 
ing  the  'aggrieved  party' — while  the  woman  married  by  the  repudiating 
husband  is  accused  in  no  regard.  To  be  sure,  Mark  (x.  11-12)  incriminates 
neither  the  second  wife  of  the  repudiating  husband,  nor  the  second  husband 
of  the  repudiating  wife,  when  a  woman  has  thus  usurped  the  man's  pre- 
rogative, but  if,  by  comparison  of  his  version  with  those  of  Matthew  and 
Luke,  we  are  to  assume  that  those  persons  marrying  the  guilty  and 
adulterous  parties  in  such  invalid  divorce  transactions  are  innocent  of  all 
offense,  while  those  persons  marrying  the  innocent  and  violenced  parties 
are  accused  of  adultery,  we  have  a  very  remarkable  pronouncement  indeed, 
and  one  also  utterly  at  variance  with  all  ancient  or  modern  principles  of 
law. 

"  But  what  light  can  the  Mosaic  Law  throw  upon  this  apparently  '  con- 
tradictory '  situation  ?  Here  the  matter  is  only  too  simple,  for  we  readily 
perceive  that  the  second  wife  of  the  repudiating  husband  is  technically 
guiltless,  because  that  according  to  the  Jewish  Law  polygamy  was  lawful, 
a  fact  which  Jesus  evidently  recognizes,  consistently  preferring  a  plurality 
of  wives  to  monogamy  maintained  by  a  series  of  legally  invalid  and 
iniquitous  repudiations.  The  repudiated  woman's  second  husband  is  guilty 
of  offense  because,  upon  the  strict  grounds  of  interpretation  that  Jesus 
adopts  he  has  taken  to  wife  a  woman  still  rightfully  in  bonds  to  another 
—  and  this  by  the  old  law  was  a  capital  crime"— Scriptural  Doctrine  of 
Divorce,  pp.  3^39,  45-46,  47. 


NOTES  445 

It  is  well  to  remind  the  reader  that  the  method  of  divorcing  recognized 
by  the  Mosaic  Law,  and  mentioned  by  Christ  in  the  passages  relating  to 
divorce,  consisted  merely  in  the  giving  of  a  "  bill  of  divorce  "  to  the  wife, 
in  accord  with  the  provisions  of  Deut.  xxiv.  1-2.  It  was,  therefore,  an 
act  of  repudiation,  rather  than  of  divorce  in  the  modern  judicial  sense. 
The  above  analysis,  which  has  strong  claim  to  being  accurate,  establishes 
the  fact  that  polygamy  is  recognized  as  an  essential  feature  of  Jewish  law 
and  custom. 

SELECTIONS  FROM  THE  BOOK  OF  MORMON 
THE  VISION  OF  NEPHI 

I  Nephi,  Chapter  II.,  14-36. 

And  it  came  to  pass  that  I  saw  the  heavens  open;  and  an  angel  came 
down  and  stood  before  me;  and  he  said  unto  me,  Nephi,  what  beholdest 
thou? 

And  I  said  unto  him,  a  virgin,  most  beautiful  and  fair  above  all  other 
virgins. 

And  he  said  unto  me,  Knowest  thou  the  condescension  of  God  ? 

And  I  said  unto  him,  I  know  that  he  loveth  his  children;  nevertheless,  I 
do  not  know  the  meaning  of  all  things. 

And  he  said  unto  me,  Behold  the  virgin  whom  thou  seest,  is  the  mother 
of  the  Son  of  God,  after  the  manner  of  the  flesh. 

And  it  came  to  pass  that  I  beheld  that  she  was  carried  away  in  the 
Spirit;  and  after  she  had  been  carried  away  in  the  Spirit  for  the  space 
of  a  time,  the  angel  spake  unto  me,  saying.  Look! 

And  I  looked  and  beheld  the  virgin  again,  bearing  a  child  in  her  arms. 

And  the  angel  said  unto  me.  Behold  the  Lamb  of  God,  yea,  even  the  Son 
of  the  Eternal  Father!  Knowest  thou  the  meaning  of  the  tree  which  thy 
father  saw? 

And  I  answered  him  saying.  Yea,  it  is  the  love  of  God,  which  sheddeth 
itself  abroad  in  the  hearts  of  the  children  of  men;  wherefore,  it  is  the 
most  desirable  above  all  things. 

And  he  spake  unto  me  saying,  Yea,  and  the  most  joyous  to  the  soul. 

And  after  he  had  said  these  words,  he  said  unto  me.  Look !  and  I  looked, 
and  I  beheld  the  Son  of  God  going  forth  among  the  children  of  men ;  and 
I  saw  many  fall  down  at  his  feet  and  worship  him. 

And  it  came  to  pass  that  I  beheld  that  the  rod  of  iron  which  my  father 
had  seen,  was  the  word  of  God,  which  led  to  the  fountain  of  living  waters, 
or  to  the  tree  of  life ;  which  waters  are  a  representation  of  the  love  of  God ; 
and  I  also  beheld  that  the  tree  of  life  was  a  representation  of  the  love 
of  God. 

And  the  angel  said  unto  me  again,  Look  and  behold  the  condescension 
of  God! 

And  I  looked  and  beheld  the  Redeemer  of  the  world,  of  whom  my  father 
had  spoken;  and  I  also  beheld  the  prophet,  who  should  prepare  the  way 
before  him.  And  the  Lamb  of  God  went  forth  and  was  baptized  of  him ; 
and  after  he  was  baptized,  I  beheld  the  heavens  open,  and  the  Holy  Ghost 
come  down  out  of  heaven  and  abode  upon  him  in  the  form  of  a  dove. 

And  I  beheld  that  he  went  forth  ministering  unto  the  people,  in  power 
and  great  glory;  and  the  multitudes  were  gathered  together  to  hear  him; 
and  I  beheld  that  they  cast  him  out  from  among  them. 

And  I  also  beheld  twelve  others  following  him.  And  it  came  to  pass 
that  they  were  carried  away  in  the  Spirit,  from  before  my  face,  and  I 
saw  them  not. 


446  THE  REAL  MORMONISM 

And  it  came  to  pass  that  the  angel  spake  unto  me  again,  saying,  Look! 
And  I  looked,  and  I  beheld  the  heavens  open  again,  and  I  saw  angels  de- 
scending upon  the  children  of  men;  and  they  did  minister  unto  them. 

And  he  spake  unto  me  again,  saying,  Look !  And  I  looked,  and  I  beheld 
the  Lamb  of  God  going  forth  among  the  children  of  men.  And  I  beheld 
multitudes  of  people  who  were  sick,  and  who  were  afflicted  with  all  manner 
of  diseases,  and  with  devils,  and  unclean  spirits;  and  the  angel  spake  and 
showed  all  these  things  unto  me.  And  they  were  healed  by  the  power 
of  the  Lamb  of  God ;  and  the  devils  and  the  unclean  spirits  were  cast  out. 

And  it  came  to  pass  that  the  angel  spake  unto  me  again,  saying,  Look! 
And  I  looked  and  beheld  the  Lamb  of  God,  that  he  was  taken  by  the  people ; 
yea,  the  Son  of  the  everlasting  God  was  judged  of  the  world;  and  I  saw 
and  bear  record. 

And  I,  Nephi,  saw  that  he  was  lifted  up  upon  the  cross,  and  slain  for  the 
sins  of  the  world. 

And  after  he  was  slain  I  saw  the  multitudes  of  the  earth,  that  they  were 
gathered  together  to  fight  against  the  apostles  of  the  Lamb ;  for  thus  were 
the  twelve  called  by  the  angel  of  the  Lord. 

And  the  multitude  of  the  earth  was  gathered  together;  and  I  beheld 
that  they  were  in  a  large  and  spacious  building,  like  unto  the  building 
which  my  father  saw!  And  the  angel  of  the  Lord  spake  unto  me  again, 
saying.  Behold  the  world  and  the  wisdom  thereof;  yea,  behold  the  house 
of  Israel  hath  gathered  together,  to  fight  against  the  twelve  apostles  of 
the  Lamb. 

And  it  came  to  pass  that  I  saw  and  bear  record,  that  the  great  and 
spacious  building  was  the  pride  of  the  world:  and  it  fell;  and  the  fall 
thereof  was  exceeding  great.  And  the  angel  of  the  Lord  spake  unto  me 
again,  saying.  Thus  shall  be  the  destruction  of  all  nations,  kindreds,  tongues, 
and  people,  that  shall  fight  against  the  twelve  apostles  of  the  Lamb. 

Mosiah,  Chapter  III,  5-27. 

For  behold,  the  time  cometh,  and  is  not  far  distant,  that  with  power, 
the  Lord  Omnipotent  who  reigneth,  who  was,  and  is  from  all  eternity  to 
all  eternity,  shall  come  down  from  heaven,  among  the  children  of  men,  and 
shall  dwell  in  a  tabernacle  of  clay,  and  shall  go  forth  amongst  men,  working 
mighty  miracles,  such  as  healing  the  sick,  raising  the  dead,  causing  the  lame 
to  walk,  the  blind  to  receive  their  sight,  and  the  deaf  to  hear,  and  curing 
all  manner  of  diseases ; 

And  he  shall  cast  out  devils,  or  the  evil  spirits  which  dwell  in  the  hearts 
of  the  children  of  men. 

And  lo,  he  shall  suffer  temptations,  and  pain  of  body,  hunger,  thirst,  and 
fatigue,  even  more  than  man  can  suffer,  except  it  be  unto  death ;  for  behold, 
blood  cometh  from  every  pore,  so  great  shall  be  his  anguish  for  the  wicked- 
ness and  the  abominations  of  his  people. 

And  he  shall  be  called  Jesus  Christ,  the  Son  of  God  the  Father  of  heaven 
and  earth,  the  Creator  of  all  things,  from  the  beginning;  and  his  mother 
shall  be  called  Mary. 

And  lo,  he  cometh  unto  his  own,  that  salvation  might  come  unto  the 
children  of  men,  even  through  faith  on  his  name;  and  even  after  all  this, 
they  shall  consider  him  a  man,  and  say  that  he  hath  a  devil,  and  shall 
scourge  him,  and  shall  crucify  him. 

And  he  shall  rise  the  third  day  from  the  dead ;  and  behold,  he  standeth  to 
judge  the  world ;  and  behold,  all  these  things  are  done,  that  a  righteous 
judgment  might  come  upon  the  children  of  men. 

For  behold,  and  also  his  blood  atoneth  for  the  sins  of  those  who  have 


NOTES  447 

fallen  by  the  transgression  of  Adam,  who  have  died,  not  knowing  the  will 
of  God  concerning  them,  or  who  have  ignorantly  sinned. 

But  wo,  wo  unto  him  who  knoweth  that  he  rebelleth  against  God;  for 
salvation  cometh  to  none  such,  except  it  be  through  repentance  and  faith 
on  the  Lord  Jesus  Christ. 

And  the  Lord  God  hath  sent  his  holy  prophets  among  all  the  children 
of  men,  to  declare  these  things  to  every  kindred,  nation,  and  tongue,  that 
thereby  whosoever  should  believe  that  Christ  should  come,  the  same  might 
receive  remission  of  their  sins,  and  rejoice  with  exceeding  great  joy,  even 
as  though  he  had  already  come  among  them. 

Yet  the  Lord  God  saw  that  his  people  were  a  stiff-necked  people,  and 
he  appointed  unto  them  a  law,  even  the  law  of  Moses. 

And  many  signs,  and  wonders,  and  types,  and  shadows  shewed  he  unto 
them,  concerning  his  coming;  and  also  holy  prophets  spake  unto  them 
concerning  his  coming ;  and  yet  they  hardened  their  hearts,  and  understood 
not  that  the  law  of  Moses  availeth  nothing,  except  it  were  through  the 
atonement  of  his  blood; 

And  even  if  it  were  possible  that  little  children  could  sin,  they  could 
not  be  saved ;  but  I  say  unto  you  they  are  blessed ;  for  behold,  as  in  Adam, 
or  by  nature  they  fall,  even  so  the  blood  of  Christ  atoneth  for  their  sins. 

And  moreover,  I  say  unto  you,  that  there  shall  be  no  other  name  given, 
nor  any  other  way  nor  means  whereby  salvation  can  come  unto  the  chil- 
dren of  men,  only  in  and  through  the  name  of  Christ,  the  Lord  Omnipotent. 

For  behold  he  judgeth,  and  his  judgment  is  just;  and  the  infant  perisheth 
not  that  dieth  in  his  infancy;  but  men  drink  damnation  to  their  own 
souls,  except  they  humble  themselves  and  become  as  little  children,  and 
believe  that  salvation  was,  and  is,  and  is  to  come,  in  and  through  the 
atoning  blood  of  Christ,  the  Lord  Omnipotent; 

For  the  natural  man  is  an  enemy  to  God,  and  has  been  from  the  fall  of 
Adam,  and  will  be,  for  ever  and  ever;  but  if  he  yields  to  the  enticings  of 
the  Holy  Spirit,  and  putteth  off  the  natural  man,  and  becometh  a  saint, 
through  the  atonement  of  Christ  the  Lord,  and  becometh  as  a  child,  sub- 
missive, meek,  humble,  patient,  full  of  love,  willing  to  submit  to  all  things 
which  the  Lord  seeth  fit  to  inflict  upon  him,  even  as  a  child  doth  submit 
to  his  father. 

And  moreover,  I  say  unto  you,  that  the  time  shall  come,  when  the 
knowledge  of  a  Saviour  shall  spread  throughout  every  nation,  kindred, 
tongue,  and  people. 

And  behold,  when  that  time  cometh,  none  shall  be  found  blameless  be- 
fore God,  except  it  be  little  children,  only  through  repentance  and  faith 
on  the  name  of  the  Lord  God  Omnipotent; 

And  even  at  this  time,  when  thou  shalt  have  taught  thy  people  the 
things  which  the  Lord  thy  God  hath  commanded  thee,  even  then  are  they 
found  no  more  blameless  in  the  sight  of  God,  only  according  to  the  words 
which  I  have  spoken  unto  thee. 

THE  DREAM  OF  LEHI 
I  Nephi,  Chap.  VHI,  5-38 

And  it  came  to  pass  that  I  saw  a  man,  and  he  was  dressed  in  a  white 
robe:  and  he  came  and  stood  before  me. 

And  it  came  to  pass  that  he  spake  unto  me,  and  bade  me  follow  him. 

And  it  came  to  pass  that  as  I  followed  him,  I  beheld  myself  that  I  was 
in  a  dark  and  dreary  waste. 

And  after  I  had  travelled  for  the  space  of  many  hours  in  darkness,  I 


448  THE  REAL  MORMONISM 

began  to  pray  unto  the  Lord  that  he  would  have  mercy  on  me,  accord- 
ing to  the  multitude  of  his  tender  mercies. 

And  it  came  to  pass  after  I  had  prayed  unto  the  Lord,  I  beheld  a  large 
and  spacious  field. 

And  it  came  to  pass  that  I  beheld  a  tree,  whose  fruit  was  desirable 
to  make  one  happy. 

And  it  came  to  pass  that  I  did  go  forth,  and  partake  of  the  fruit  thereof ; 
and  I  beheld  that  it  was  most  sweet,  above  all  that  I  ever  before  tasted. 
Yea,  and  I  beheld  that  the  fruit  thereof  was  white,  to  exceed  all  the 
whiteness  that  I  had  ever  seen. 

And  as  I  partook  of  the  fruit  thereof,  it  filled  my  soul  with  exceeding 
great  joy;  wherefore,  I  began  to  be  desirous  that  my  family  should  par- 
take of  it  also ;  for  I  knew  that  it  was  desirable  above  all  other  fruit. 

And  as  I  cast  my  eyes  round  about,  that  perhaps  I  might  discover  my 
family  also,  I  beheld  a  river  of  water;  and  it  ran  along,  and  it  was  near 
the  tree  of  which  I  was  partaking  the  fruit. 

And  I  looked  to  behold  from  whence  it  came ;  and  I  saw  the  head  thereof 
a  little  way  off;  and  at  the  head  thereof,  I  beheld  your  mother  Sariah, 
and  Sam,  and  Nephi;  and  they  stood  as  if  they  knew  not  whither  they 
should  go. 

And  it  came  to  pass  that  I  beckoned  unto  them ;  and  I  also  did  say  unto 
them  with  a  loud  voice,  That  they  should  come  unto  me,  and  partake  of 
the  fruit,  which  was  desirable  above  all  other  fruit. 

And  it  came  to  pass  that  they  did  come  unto  me,  and  partake  of  the 
fruit  also. 

And  it  came  to  pass  that  I  was  desirous  that  Laman  and  Lemuel  should 
come  and  partake  of  the  fruit  also;  wherefore,  I  cast  mine  eyes  towards 
the  head  of  the  river,  that  perhaps  I  might  see  them. 

And  it  came  to  pass  that  I  saw  them,  but  they  would  not  come  unto  me. 

And  I  beheld  a  rod  of  iron,  and  it  extended  along  the  bank  of  the  river, 
and  led  to  the  tree  by  which  I  stood. 

And  I  also  beheld  a  straight  and  narrow  path,  which  came  along  by 
the  rod  of  iron,  even  to  the  tree  by  which  I  stood ;  and  it  also  led  by  the 
head  of  the  fountain,  unto  a  large  and  spacious  field,  as  if  it  had  been  a 
world ; 

And  I  saw  numberless  concourses  of  people ;  many  of  whom  were  press- 
ing forward,  that  they  might  obtain  the  path  which  led  unto  the  tree  by 
which  I  stood. 

And  it  came  to  pass  that  they  did  come  forth,  and  commence  in  the 
path  which  led  to  the  tree. 

And  it  came  to  pass  that  there  arose  a  mist  of  darkness;  yea,  even  an 
exceeding  great  mist  of  darkness,  insomuch  that  they  who  had  commenced 
in  the  path,  did  lose  their  way,  that  they  wandered  off  and  were  lost. 

And  it  came  to  pass  that  I  beheld  others  pressing  forward,  and  they 
came  forth  and  caught  hold  of  the  end  of  the  rod  of  iron ;  and  they  did 
press  forward  through  the  mist  of  darkness,  clinging  to  the  rod  of  iron, 
even  until  they  did  come  forth  and  partake  of  the  fruit  of  the  tree. 

And  after  they  had  partaken  of  the  fruit  of  the  tree,  they  did  cast  their 
eyes  about  as  if  they  were  ashamed. 

And  I  also  cast  my  eyes  round  about,  and  beheld,  on  the  other  side  of 
the  river  of  water,  a  great  and  spacious  building;  and  it  stood  as  it  were 
in  the  air,  high  above  the  earth; 

And  it  was  filled  with  people,  both  old  and  young,  both  male  and  female ; 
and  their  manner  of  dress  was  exceeding  fine;  and  they  were  in  the 
attitude  of  mocking  and  pointing  their  fingers  towards  those  who  had 
come  at,  and  were  partaking  of  the  fruit. 


NOTES  449 

And  after  they  had  tasted  of  the  fruit  they  were  ashamed,  because  of 
those  that  were  scoffing  at  them;  and  they  fell  away  into  forbidden  paths 
and  were  lost. 

And  now  I,  Nephi,  do  not  speak  all  the  words  of  my  father. 

But,  to  be  short  in  writing,  behold,  he  saw  other  multitudes  pressing 
forward;  and  they  came  and  caught  hold  of  the  end  of  the  rod  of  iron; 
and  they  did  press  their  way  forward,  continually  holding  fast  to  the 
rod  of  iron,  until  they  came  forth  and  fell  down  and  partook  of  the  fruit 
of  the  tree. 

And  he  also  saw  other  multitudes  feeling  their  way  towards  that  great 
and  spacious  building. 

And  it  came  to  pass  that  many  were  drowned  in  the  depths  of  the 
fountain;  and  many  were  lost  from  his  view,  wandering  in  strange  roads. 

And  great  was  the  multitude  that  did  enter  into  that  strange  building. 
And  after  they  did  enter  into  that  building,  they  did  point  the  finger  of 
scorn  at  me,  and  those  that  were  partaking  of  the  fruit  also;  but  we 
heeded  them  not 

These  are  the  words  of  my  father:  For  as  many  as  heeded  them,  had 
fallen  away. 

And  Laman  and  Lemuel  partook  not  of  the  fruit,  said  my  father. 

And  it  came  to  pass  after  my  father  had  spoken  all  the  words  of  his 
dream  or  vision,  which  were  many,  he  said  unto  us,  because  of  these  things 
which  he  saw  in  a  vision,  he  exceedingly  feared  for  Laman  and  Lemuel; 
yea,  he  feared  lest  they  should  be  cast  off  from  the  presence  of  the  Lord : 

And  he  did  exhort  them  then  with  all  the  feeling  of  a  tender  parent, 
that  they  would  hearken  to  his  words  that,  perhaps  the  Lord  would  be 
merciful  to  them,  and  not  cast  them  off;  yea,  my  father  did  preach  unto 
them. 

And  after  he  had  preached  unto  them,  and  also  prophesied  unto  them 
of  many  things,  he  bade  them  to  keep  the  commandments  of  the  Lord; 
and  he  did  cease  speaking  unto  them. 

THE  FRAILTIES  AND  THE  FOOLISHNESS  OF  MEN. 
II  Nephi  ix.  28-38 

O  that  cunning  plan  of  the  evil  one !  O  the  vainness,  and  the  frailties, 
and  the  foolishness  of  men !  When  they  are  learned,  they  think  they  are 
wise,  and  they  hearken  not  unto  the  counsel  of  God,  for  they  set  it  aside, 
supposing  they  know  of  themselves, —  wherefore,  their  wisdom  is  foolish- 
ness, and  it  profiteth  them  not.    And  they  shall  perish. 

But  to  be  learned  is  good,  if  they  hearken  unto  the  counsels  of  God. 

But  wo  unto  the  rich,  who  are  rich  as  to  the  things  of  the  world.  For 
because  they  are  rich,  they  despise  the  poor,  and  they  persecute  the  meek, 
and  their  hearts  are  upon  their  treasures ;  wherefore  their  treasure  is  their 
God.    And  behold,  their  treasure  shall  perish  with  them  also. 

And  wo  unto  the  deaf,  that  will  not  hear ;  for  they  shall  perish. 

Wo  unto  the  blind,  that  will  not  see;  for  they  shall  perish  also. 

Wo  unto  the  uncircumcised  of  heart ;  for  a  knowledge  of  their  iniquities 
shall  smite  them  at  the  last  day. 

Wo  unto  the  liar;  for  he  shall  be  thrust  down  to  hell. 

Wo  unto  the  murderer,  who  deliberately  killeth ;  for  he  shall  die. 

Wo  unto  them  who  commit  whoredoms ;  for  they  shall  be  thrust  down  to 
hell. 

Yea,  wo  unto  those  that  worship  idols;  for  the  devil  of  all  devils  de- 
lighteth  in  them. 


450 


THE  REAL  MORMONISM 


And,  in  fine,  wo  unto  all  those  who  die  in  their  sins;  for  they  shall 
return  to  God,  and  behold  his  face  and  remain  in  their  sins. 

O,  THAT  I  WERE  AN  ANGEL! 
Alma  xxix.  1-9 

0  that  I  were  an  angel,  and  could  have  the  wish  of  mine  heart,  that 
I  might  go  forth  and  speak  with  the  trump  of  God,  with  a  voice  to  shake 
the  earth,  and  cry  repentance  unto  every  people; 

Yea,  I  would  declare  unto  every  soul,  as  with  the  voice  of  thunder, 
repentance,  and  the  plan  of  redemption,  that  they  should  repent  and  come 
unto  our  God,  that  there  might  not  be  more  sorrow  upon  all  the  face 
of  the  earth. 

But  behold  I  am  a  man,  and  do  sin  in  my  wish;  for  I  ought  to  be  con- 
tent with  the  things  which  the  Lord  hath  allotted  unto  me. 

1  ought  not  to  harrow  up  in  my  desires,  the  firm  decree  of  a  just  God, 
for  I  know  that  he  granteth  unto  men  according  to  their  desire,  whether 
it  be  unto  death  or  unto  life;  yea,  I  know  that  he  allotteth  unto  men,  ac- 
cording to  their  will;  whether  they  be  unto  salvation  or  unto  destruc- 
tion. 

Yea,  and  I  know  that  good  and  evil  have  come  before  all  men;  or  he 
that  knoweth  not  good  from  evil  is  blameless;  but  he  that  knoweth  good 
and  evil,  to  him  it  is  given  according  to  his  desires ;  whether  he  desireth 
good  or  evil,  life  or  death,  joy  or  remorse  of  conscience. 

Now  seeing  that  I  know  these  things,  why  should  I  desire  more  than 
to  perform  the  work  to  which  I  have  been  called? 

Why  should  I  desire  that  I  was  an  angel,  that  I  could  speak  unto  all 
the  ends  of  the  earth? 

For  behold,  the  Lord  doth  grant  unto  all  nations,  of  their  own  nation 
and  tongue,  to  teach  his  word;  yea,  in  wisdom,  all  that  he  seeth  fit  that 
they  should  have ;  therefore  we  see  that  the  Lord  doth  counsel  in  wisdom, 
according  to  that  which  is  just  and  true. 

I  know  that  which  the  Lord  hath  commanded  me,  and  I  glory  in  it:  I 
do  not  glory  of  myself,  but  I  glory  in  that  which  the  Lord  hath  com- 
manded me;  yea,  and  this  is  my  glory,  that  perhaps  I  may  be  an  instru- 
ment in  the  hands  of  God,  to  bring  some  soul  to  repentance;  and  this 
is  my  joy. 


INDEX 


Aaronic  priesthood 

"appendages"  of,  274 

founded,  44-46 

limitations  of,  275 

ranks  and  offices  in,  274 

scriptural  authority  for,  270-271 
Abolition    sentiment    of    Mormons 
accounts  for  their  persecutions, 

87 
Adam  appointed  to  his  mission  on 
earth,  192 
compared  to  Christ,  198-199 
"  federal  headship  of,"  202 
"  fell  that  men  might  be,"  196 
first  to  receive  the  priesthood,  197 
God's  contradictory  commands  to, 

198 
identified  with  Ancient  of  days, 

197 
identified  with  Michael,  197 
patriarch  of  the  human  race,  202 
regard  for,  peculiar,  200 
Adam-God  doctrine,  alleged,  200-201 
Adam-ondi-Ahman,    Mo.,    founded, 

57 

"Address  to  the  World"  (1907) 
by  the  Church  authorities,  335 

Adultery  a  capital  crime,  219 

Affidavits,  anti-Mormon,  12 

Ahura-Mazda,  the  good  creator,  194 

Alter,  J.  Cecil,  on  Mormon  coloniz- 
ing and  cooperation,  136,  137, 
139,  140 

Altruism  practiced  by  Mormons,  126 

"  American  type,"  81  _ 

**  Ancient  of  Days "  identified  with 
Adam,  197,  199 

Anderson,  Edward  H.,  on  Young 
Men's  Mutual  Improvement  As- 
sociation, 298 

Angro-Manyu,  the  evil  creator,  194 

Anthon,  Dr.  Charles,  27,  28,  29 

Anthropomorphic  God  taught  in 
Bible  176,  178,  180-181 

Anti-Catholicism  and  anti-Mor- 
monism  347-349 

Anti-Mormon  "  candor,"  4 

Apostasy  an  old  charge,  167 

451 


Apostasy,  charged  by  Mormonism, 

7,  344 
Apostates,    Mormon,    vile    charges 

made  by,  99-100 
Apostles,  the  twelve,  282-286 
epistle  of,  83-85 

Epistle  at  Winter  Quarters  (Flor- 
ence), Neb.,  128 
equal   in   authority  to   the   First 

Presidency,  283 
the  twelve,  founded  in  1836,  283 
Athanasian  controversy,  176 
Athanasian  creed,  182,  188 
Atheism  and  "  immaterialism,"  178- 

179 
Atonement,  the,  204-224 
general  and  particular  applications 

of,  206 
operation  of  the,  205 
and  righteousness,  207 
Augustine,  Saint,  22 
Authority,     localized,     rejected    by 

Protestantism,  166 
"Automatic  activities,"  truth  about, 

434-438 
"Automatic  writing,"  theory  of  the 

Book  of  Mormon,  427-434 
"  Auxiliary  organizations,"  296-310 

Bank,  national,  recommended  by  Jo- 
seph Smith  in  1844,  93>  94 

Baptism  for  the  dead,  229 

Baskin,    R.    N.,   anti-Mormon   agi- 
tator, 338,  339,  340 

Beet  sugar  industry  begun  in  Utah, 
132 

Benevolence,  law  of,  114-115 

Bennett,  John  C,  39,  69,  99,  100 

Berkeley,    George,    on   matter    and 
spirit,  177 

Birch,    Elizabeth,    on    plural    mar- 
riage, 257 

Bishop,  double  capacity  of,  288 
office  and  duties  of  a,  275-277 

"  Bishop  West  of  Juab,"  his  alleged 
sermon,  6 

Bishopric,    an    appendage    to    the 
Higher  priesthood,  274 


452 


INDEX 


Black,  Jeremiah  S.,  Judge,  on  pro- 
posed legislation  for  Utah,  322 
quoted,  347 
on  "  political  piety,"  5 
on  anti-Mormonism,  5 
Blenheim,     Battle    of,    parody    on 

poem,  348-349 
"  Blood  atonement,    72,  73 
doctrine  of,  explained,  220-224 
as  a  means  of  mercy,  223 
Board  of   Education,   Church,  302, 

308-309 
Body  of  God,  flesh  and  bone,  i8i, 

182 
Bogart,  Rev.,  4 
Book  of  Mormon,  3 
anti-Christian     arguments     used 

against,  36 
"  coming- forth  "  of,  25-36 
compared  to  Bible,  36 
test  of  truth  suggested  by,  441 
theories    on    the    authorship    of, 

400-441 
Transcript  from,  discussed,  27-29 
"  Transcript "  from  plates  of,  431- 

434 
Translation  of,  30,  32-35 

Booth,  Ezra,  conversion  of,  63 

Boreman,  Jacob  S.,  Judge,  anti-Mor- 
mon harangue,  323-325 
perverse  decisions  of,  363,  364 

Braden,  C,  Rev.,  debates  with  Ed- 
mund L.  Kelley,  406,  407,  410, 
411,  412,  413,  416-417,  419,  420, 
421,  422 

Brannan,  Samuel,  Mormon,  founds 
San  Francisco,  143 

Bridger,  James,  scout,  129 

Brockman,  Rev.,  5 

Buddhism,  influence  of,  on  histor,- 
ical  Christianity,  108 
karma  doctrine  of,  178 

Burton,  Richard  R,  on  plural  mar- 
riage, effects  of,  248-249 

Cabet,  Etienne,  Fourierite  colonist, 
I 19-120 

Caine,  John  T.   editor  of  Salt  Lake 
Herald,  338 
on  admission   of  Utah  to  state- 
hood, 345-346 
on  Christian  Industrial  Home,  373 

Call,  Wilkinson,  U.  S.  Senator,  op- 
poses the  Edmunds-Tucker  bill, 
368-369 

Calvin,  John,  8 


Calvin,  John,  murder  of  Servetus 

by,  223 
rule  of  in  Geneva,  83 
Campbell,   Alexander,    opinions   on 

Book  of  Mormon,  428 
Cannon,  Angus   M.,  conviction  of, 

for  unlawful  cohabitation,  356- 

357 
Cannon,  George  Q.,  102,  323 
address    on   polygamy   made   by, 

339,  340 
on  "  gathering,"  50 
on  Joseph  Smith's  personal  cour- 
age, 60 
Capitalists,  desirable  kind  of,  81 
Carlin,  Gov.  Thomas,  signs  Nauvoo 

charter,  69 
Carlton,  Hon.  Ambrose  B.,  on  in- 
justice to  Mormons,  6 
on   anti-Mormonism   and   Know- 

Nothingism,  347-349 
on  Mormon  literalism,  174 
Catholic  Church  denounced  by  re- 
formers, 166 
methods  of  the,  108 
Catholic  Apostolic  Church,  founded 

by  Edward  Irving,  270 
Catholics    persecuted    by    "  Know- 

Nothings,"  347-348 
Cattle,   improved  breeds   of,  intro- 
duced by  Mormon  authorities, 
131 
Celestial  glory  or  "kingdom,"  232- 

233 
gods  dwelling  in  the,  185 
Celestial    marriage,    revelation    on, 

240-242 
Charity  and  religious  benevolence, 

114-115 
Chastity    among    Mormon    youths, 

154 
Christ,  eternal  deity  of,  183 

the  resurrected,  181,  182 
Christian     Industrial     Home,     Salt 
Lake  City,  370-377 
absurd  stories  circulated  by  man- 
agers of  the,  375,  376 
aims  of  the,  374 
building  of  the,  373 
Christianity,  restoration  of,  oppor- 
tunity for,  167 
as  stated  by  Christ,  108 
historical,  defects  of,  108  ^ 
Church  assistance  in  irrigation  proj- 
ects, 130-131 
new  ideal  of  the,  83,  214-215 


INDEX 


453 


Church    of    England,    Articles    of 
Faith  of,  quoted,  i8i,  182 

Civil  War  avoidable,  S^Sg 

Clawson,  Hiram  B.,  sentenced  for 
polygamy,  338,  339 

Clawson,   Hiram   N.,   letter  to,  on 
Utah  penitentiary,  371 

Clay,  Henry,  69,  91 
Joseph  Smith's  opinion  of,  88 

Clothing    manufacturing    in    Utah, 

133 

Colfax,      Schuyler,      anti-Mormon 
crusade  of,  loi 

Colonizing   activities   of   the    Mor- 
mons, 141-143 
misrepresented,  332 

Columbus,  Christopher,  226 

Commerce  (later  Nauvoo),  111.,  61, 
68 

Common  Law,  marriage  under  the, 

357 

Comte,  August,  religion  of  human- 
ity of,  123 

Conference,    quarterly,    of    stakes, 
290 

Congress,     U.     S.,     reduction     of, 
recommended,  92-93 

Consecrated  property,  law  of,  53 

"  Constructive  cohabitation,"  a  legal 
fiction,  359,  363 

Cooperation,  demand  of  social  re- 
organization, III 
made    practical    by    Mormonism, 

139 
Cooperative  Retrenchment  Associa- 
tion, 300,  302 
Cooperative  stores  system,  133 
Coordination  of  individuals  neces- 
sary for  the  common  good,  107- 
108 
Council  of  spirits  in  heaven,  192 
Courts,  Church,  several  orders  of, 

293-294 
Cowdery,  Oliver,  30,  32,  37,  38,  39, 
45,  67,  89,  100 
apostasy  of,  40 
appointed  apostle,  282,  283 
invited   by  Joseph   Smith  to  re- 
turn to  Church,  67 
receives  the  priesthood,  271 
second  elder  of  the  Church,  47 
stewardship  appointed  to,  53 
testimony  of,  in  1848,  46 
Crime  record  in  Utah,  157-162 
Criminals,  accused  of  being  Mor- 
mons, 325 


Crocheron,  Augusta  J.,  on  Mormon 

women,  255,  256 
Cummings,  Horace  H.,  on  Mormon 

Church  education,  308 
Cumorah,  Hill  of,  26 
Curtis,     George     Ticknor,     argues 

Snow     case     before     Supreme 

Court,  358-359,  360-364 

Dana,  Dr.  C.  L.,  on  epilepsy,  398 

Danites,  342 
charges  on  by  T.  B.  Marsh,  loi 
truth  about,  102 

Darwin,  Charles,  on  expressions  of 
the  emotions,  392 

Deacon,  an  appendage  to  the  lower 
priesthood,  274 
duties  of  a,  274 

Deacons,  quorum  of,  279 

Dead,  salvation  for  the,  227-231 

Declaration        of        Independence 
quoted,  95 
treason  expressed  in,  353 

Descartes,     Rene,    on    "two    sub- 
stances," 176 

Deseret,  proposed  state  of,  consti- 
tution for,  345-346 

Dispensations,  doctrine  of,  225-227 

Divine    nature,    partakers    in,    184, 
185 

Doctrine  and  Covenants,  Book  of, 
contains  revelations,  65,  170 

Douglas,   Stephen  A.,  assists  Nau- 
voo charter,  69 

Dualism,  a  moral,  in  universe,  193- 
194 

Dyer,  Frank  H.,  denies  allegations 
against  Penitentiary,  371 

Echeverria,  on  epileptic  symptoms, 

391-392 
Edmunds  Law,  7 
amendments  to,  argued,  338-339 
construction  of,  vain  attempts  to 

obtain,  356-364 
injustices  perpetrated  under,  262- 

264 
protests  against,  353-355 
result    of    sectarian    persecution, 

337 
Edmunds-Tucker     law,     365,     366, 

367-368 
Educational  advantages  of  Mormon 

organization,  154 
Educational  work  of  Joseph  Smith, 

55-56 


454 


INDEX 


Edwards,   Solomon,   conviction   of, 

for  Unlawful  cohabitation,  355 
Elder,  duties  of  an,  278 
Elders,  quorum  of,  280 
Eldership,    an    appendage    to    the 

Higher  priesthood,  274 
Ellis,  Charles,  on  cause  of  Mormon 

persecutions,  7 
on  "  temporal  character  "  of  Mor- 

monism,  212-213 
Emerson,    R.    W.,    repeats    Smith's 

views   on    slavery   abolishment, 

87,  350-351 

Employment  agency  work  of  the 
Mormon  Church,   146-149 

Emigration,  Mormon,  invitation, 
79-80 

Endowment,  a  ceremony  m  Mor- 
mon temples,  216 

England,  Church  of.  Articles  of 
Faith  of,  quoted,  181,  182 

Enoch,  the  type  of  perfectness,  50 

Enoch,  Order  of,  see  United  Or- 
der 

Epilepsy,  symptoms  of,  in  ancient 
saints,  396-397 

Equality  and  fraternity,  fruits  of 
Mormonism,  107-118 

Equality  of  three  highest  orders 
explained,  284 

Eternal  marriage,  231 

Eternal  punishment,  nature  and 
subjects  of,  235-236 

Eusebius  on  the  Seventy,  281 

Evil  and  sin,  origin  of,  235 

Fairchild,  James  H.,  President,  on 
the  origin  of  the  Book  of  Mor- 
mon, 422-423 
Fall  of  man,  196-198 
and  atonement,  202-203 
ordained  by  God,  192 
a   step   toward   man's   exaltation, 
202 
"  Federal  headship  "  of  Adam,  202 
Felonies,  total,  in  Utah  in  16  years, 

159-160 
Felt,  Louie,  on  plural  marriage,  256 
Female  Relief  Society,  82 
Fichte,   J.   G.,   on   "absolute  ideal- 
ism," 177 
First  Presidency  as  a  court,  294 
Ford,  Gov.  Thomas,  91,  99 
on   Mormon  political  conduct  in 

Nauvoo,  328-329 
on  Nauvoo  charter,  69-70 


Fordham,  Elijah,  healed  by  Joseph 

Smith,  61-62 
Foreordination     and     preexistence, 

192 
Fourierite  colonists  at  Nauvoo,  119- 

120 
Fox,     George,     abolishes     clerical 

class,  no 
France,    election    of    President    in, 

291 
Freeze,   Lillie,  on  plural  marriage, 

romantic  aspects  of,  265 
Freeze,  Mary  A.,     on  plural  mar- 
riage, 255 
Fulness  of  Times,  Dispensation  of, 

225 

Garfield,  Prest.  James  A.,  314,  315, 

324,  325 
Gates,  Susa  Young,  on  cooperation, 

III 
on  founding  of  Y.  L.  M.  I.  A., 

300-301 
on  plural  marriage,  effects  of,  251- 

252,  258-259 
"  Gathering,"  doctrine  of,  49-50,  71 
Gathering-place  for  Israel,  80 
Gerrymandering,  a  form  of  political 

unfairness,  334 
Gifts  of  the  Spirit,  168,  171-172 
God,  doctrine  of  in  Scripture  and  in 

theology,  178 
an  exalted  man,  182-183 
Mormon  doctrine  of,  165-166,  180- 

189 
personal  communion  with,  168 
Godhead,  Constitution  of  the,  187 
Gods,  the,  in  Mormon  theology,  202 

the,  place  and  powers  of,  184,  185 
Gospel,  reality  or  speculation?  167 
Government,  Mormon  idea  of,  76-79 
Government  of  God,  editorial  on,  76 
Government,  U.  S.,  Smith's  views  on 

powers,  etc.,  of,  92-94 
Governmental  inefficiency,  90 
Governments,  national  and  state,  93- 

94 
Graded   instruction   in   the   Sunday 

Schools,  302 
Grahame,      Stewart,      anti-socialist 

writer,  122-123 
Grant,  Jedediah  M.,  220 

Harris,  Martin,  37,  38,  39,  67 
apostasy  of,  40 
loses  pages  of  translation,  31 


INDEX 


455 


Harris,  Martin,  remark  of,  15 
stewardship  appointed  to,  53 
visits  Prof.  Anthon,  27 
witness  of  Book  of  Mormon,  30 
Haun's  Mill,  Mo.,  massacre  of,  318 
Hearsay   evidence   adduced   against 

Mormons,  330 
Hegel,  G.  F.  W.,  German  philoso- 
pher, 176 
High  Councils  of  the  Stakes,  284, 

288 
High  priest,  duties  of  a,  278 
High  Priests,  quorum  of,  280 
Holy  Spirit,  blasphemy  against,  186 
definition  of,  186,  187 
functions  and  activities  of,  186 
sin  against,  219-220 
"Home    industry,"    watchword    in 

Utah,  129 
Home,  Isabella,  on  plural  marriage, 

262 
Home,  Mary  I.,  organizes  branches 

of  Y.  L.  M.  I.  A.,  302 
Howe,  E.  D.,  author  of  "Mormon- 
ism  Unveiled,  14,  400 
Hurlburt,  D.  Philastus,  39,  99 
work  of  in  preparing  "  Mormon- 
ism  Unveiled,"  14,  400 
Huxley,  Thomas  H.,  on  "  religion  of 

humanity,"  123 
Hyde,  Orson,  89 

returns  to  the  Church,  (^y,  103 
subscribes  to  Marsh's  affidavit,  loi 
Hypnotism  theory  of  Joseph  Smith, 
42 
stupid  and  vulgar,  59 
Hysteria,  epidemic,  5 

Icarian  colonies    (Fourierite),  119- 
120 

Idealism  of  Joseph  Smith,  Jefferson, 
etc.,  95-96 

Improvement  Era,  organ  of  Y.  M. 
M.  I.  A.,  299 

Incarnation  of  human  spirit  neces- 
sary to  salvation,  191 

Indebtedness    forgiven    by    Church, 
83-85 

Independence,  Missouri,  settled,  57 

Irrigation  begun  in  Utah,  130 

Irving,  Edward,  on  Church  organ- 
ization, 270 
on  spiritual  gifts,  172 

Israel,  gathering  of,  226-227 

Jackson  County,  Mo.,  as  Zion,  50 


James,  Prof.  William,  61 
on    "automatic    activities,"    435, 

436-437  . 
on  hypnotism,  42 
on    "psychological    explanations," 

438 
on  reflex  effects  of  emotions,  392- 

393 

on  "  stream  of  consciousness,"  177 
Jefferson,  Thomas,  idealism  of,  95 

work  of,  226 
John  the  Baptist,  as  an  angel,  45 
"Joseph   Smith  or  the  sword,"  'j^, 

lOI 

Jubilee  of  Church  in  1880,  85 

Kansas,  slavery  struggle  and  colo- 
nizing in,  zZ?rZ2)A 

Karma  and  immaterial  spirit,  177 

Keeler,     Joseph     B.,     on     Mormon 
priesthood,  272-273,  278,  288,  289 
on    auxiliary    organizations,    299, 
310 

"Keys"  of  the  Higher  Priesthood, 
284,  285,  286 

King,   Hannah  T.,  on  plural  mar- 
riage, 255 
remarks  of,  criticized,  352 

Kirtland,  Ohio,  settled,  50 
United  Order  founded  at,  11 1 

"  Kirtland  boom,"  the,  53-54 

Kirtland  Safety  Society  Bank,  53- 

54 
Kirtland  "  Temple,"  the,  54 
Know-Nothingism     and     anti-Mor- 

monism,  ZZ^,  347-349 

Lamb,     Rev.     Mr.,     anti-Mormon 
writer,  2^2;  36 

"  Land  Law  of  Modern  Israel,"  127- 
128 

Latter-day  Saints,  3 

Church,  original  members  of,  47 

Law,  abuse  of,  in  Utah,  263-264 

Law,  Wilson,  100 

Lecky,  W.  E.  H.,  on  the  social  evil, 
247 

Levissima  damnatio,  the  lowest  de- 
gree of  salvation,  235 

Lincoln,  Abraham,  votes  for  Nauvoo 
charter,  69 

Linn,  W.  A.,  anti-Mormon  writer, 

39 
Liquor  traffic,  Mormon  vote  against, 

155-157 


456 


INDEX 


Lombroso,  Cesare,  on  "epileptoid 
nature  of  genius,"  396 

Louisville,  Battle  of,  poem  by  A.  B. 
Carlton,  348-349 

Lucifer,  Satan  or,  193-194 
thrust  down  from  the  presence  of 
God,  235 

Lum,  D.  D.  ("a  Gentile")  on  Mor- 
mon attitude  to  "civilization," 
322 

Lund,  Anthon  H.,  on  popular  voting 
of  Mormon  Church  member- 
ship, 285 

Luther,  Martin,  8 

"Lynching,"  authority  for,  quoted, 
90 

McKean,  James  B.,  judge,  perver- 
sion of  law  by,  364 
Maeser,   Karl  G.,  general  superin- 
tendent of  education,  309 
Man,  preexistence  of,  190-193 

proper  divine  heritage  of,  183 
"  Manuscript    Found,"    Spaulding's, 
discussion  of,  424-426 
recovery  of,  422-423,  424 
Marriage,  Common  Law,  357 
eternal,  231 

plural,  see  Plural  marriage 
Marsh,  Thomas  W.,  affidavit  of  on 
"Danites,"  101-103 
returns  to  the  Church,  103 
Massachusetts     Bay    Colony    com- 
pared to  Utah,  341 
"  Masterpiece  of  the  ages,"  the,  217 
Material  and  perception,  175-179 
"  Materialism,"  meaning  of,  174-178 

Mormon  belief  in,  175-179 
Mather,   Increase,   on  visions,   etc., 

19,  20 
Matter,  definition  of,  175 
"  Mediumships     and     possessions," 
treated  by  Prof.  William  James, 

435,  436-437 
Melchisedek    priesthood,    authority 
for,  270-271 
founded,  44-45 
"appendages"  of^  274 
held  by  prophets  m  Israel,  277 
ranks  and  offices  in,  274 
taken  from  Israelites,  272,  277 
Michael,    the    archangel,    identified 

with  Adam,  197 
Migraine,   explaining  visions,   384- 
385 
relation  of,  to  epilepsy,  386-387 


Millennium,  preparation  for  the,  112 
Missionaries,  sectarian,  among  Mor- 
mons, 335 
stir  up  persecution,  337-338 
Missouri,  Mormon  persecutions  in, 
89-91 
blame  for,  81-82 
Mitchill,  Samuel  L.,  27 
Monogamy  and  plural  marriage,  ef- 
fects of  compared,  244 
Mormon,  Nephite  prophet,  3 
Mormon,  Plates  of,  23,  24 
Mormon,  Book  of,  see  Book  of  Mor- 
mon 
Mormon,  The  (newspaper),  on  plu- 
ral marriage,  243-244 
Mormon  altruism,  126 
benevolence  unique,  137,  138 
Church  compared  to  Mosaic  state, 

218 
Church  organization,  170 
Church   organization,  educational 

advantages  of,  154 
Church,    sociological    significance 

of.   III 
colonization  record,  57 
colonizing    and     developing,     57, 

135-140,  141-143 
and   "Gentile"   criminality,    157- 
.   158 
mdustry  and  frugality,  135 

"  Iliad,"  A,  83 
"  menace,"  truth  about,  347 
political    activities    set    forth    by 

Thomas  Ford,  69 
type,  the,  125 
Mormonism  accepts  Scripture  liter- 
ally 165-167,  168 
advantage  of,  over  opponents,  173 
champion  of  liberty,  etc.,  6 
claims  of,  7 

compared  to  Evangelicalism,  7 
compared  to  other  faiths,  52 
compared  with  Positivism,  123 
"  an  empire-founding  religion,"  %^ 
the  end  of  history,  227 
Equality  and  fraternity,  fruits  of, 

107-1 18 
fruits  of,  107-162    ■ 
individual  salvation,  rule  of,  144 
means  for  elevating  women,  250, 

261-262 
mission  of,  109-110 
"more  sinned  against  than  sin- 
ning," 6 
and  mysticism,  170-171 


INDEX 


457 


Mormonism,  origin  of  name,  3 
practical  brotherhood  of,  126 
practical  character  of,  125 
principles  of  organization  of,  no 
promoting  chastity  in  young  men, 

154 
rejects      theological      word-spin- 
nings, 165-166 
restored  Christianity,  166 
revelation  a  necessary  feature  of, 

65,  i6s 
"temporal  achievements"  of,  212- 

213 
and  temporal  salvation,  1 19-144 
theological  teachings  of,  165-236 
transforming  influence,  125 
vile  charges  against,  99 
Mormons  and  the  crime  record,  157- 

162 
Morality  of,  151-162 
a  peculiar  people,  81,  226 
political  jealousy  of,  72 
temperance  among,  151-153,  I55- 

toleration  by,  yz 

Moroni,  an  angel,  3,  33,  35,  45 
vision  of,  by  Jos.  Smith,  23,  24 

Morrill,  Justin  S.,  on  "  un-American 
theocracy,"  342,  343,  347 

Morton,  William  A.,  on  baptism  for 
the  dead,  230-231 

Moses,  Law  of,  compared  to  Mor- 
monism, 218 

Murder  an  unpardonable  sin,  219- 
220 

Mutual   Improvement  Associations, 
297-302 

"Mysterious    Stranger,"    the,    416- 
417 

Mystical  element  in  Mormon  theol- 
ogy, 171-172 


Nauvoo,  111.,  charter  of,  68-70,  99 
founded,  57,  68 
Fourierite  colony  at,  1 19-120 
industrial  problems  in,  81 
ordinances  passed  in,  72-76 
political  conduct  in,  328-329 
proposed  as  separate  state,  91 
severe  punishments  in,  72 
Smith's  rule  in,  83 
temperance  ordinance  in,  74 
temple  at,  71-72 
toleration  edict  in,  7^ 
vice-suppression  in,  75 


Nauvoo  Legion,  military  organiza- 
tion founded,  68,  70 
Nelson,  N.  L.,  Prof.,  "automatic" 
theory  of,  436 

on  disproof  of  Spaulding  author- 
ship theory,  423 

on  Rigdon's  plot  to  publish  Book 
of  Mormon,  as  alleged,  414 

on  Rigdon's  profession  of  faith  in 
the  Book  of  Mormon,  417-418 

theory  on  translation  of  Book  of 
Mormon,  32-35 

on  Three  Witnesses,  39-40 
Newman,  Mrs.  Angle,  anti-Mormon 
agitator,  351,  352,  370,  371,  z72y 

Z7Zy  Z7(> 

Newman,  John  P.,  Methodist 
preacher,  debates  polygamy 
with  Orson  Pratt,  350 

Nielson,  Hans,  indicted  for  two  of- 
fenses on  same  facts,  365-366 

Non-conformity  in  America,  341- 
342 

Offices,  candidates  for,  appointed  by 

Presidency,  285,  291 
Organization,    historic    neglect    of, 
2n 
of  church  membership  rejected  by 

Protestants,  166 
the,  of  the  Mormon  Church,  269- 

295 
Mormon,  advantages  of,  217 
of  Mormon  Church  compared  to 
United  States  government,  289, 
291 
Mormon,  efficiency  of,  269 
for  Church  first  mentioned,  52 
Mormon,  a  means  of  righteous- 
ness, 210 
Mormon,  religious  significance  of, 

210 
sacredness  of,  201 

Paine,  Thomas,  idealism  of,  95,  96 

views  of,  referred  to,  429 
Paraguay,  socialist  colonies  in,  122 
Parents'  classes  in  Sunday  schools, 

305-307 
Parrish,   Warren,   embezzles   funds 

of  Kirtland  Bank,  53 
Patten,  David  W.,  dying  sayings  of, 

58,66 
Paul,  St.,  on  government,  79 
Peculiar  people,  a,  real  idea  of  the 

Church,  214-215 


458 


INDEX 


Penrose,    Charles    W.,    on    "blood 

atonement,"  221-222,  223,  224 
Perdition,  a  name  of  Lucifer,  235 
Perpetual  Immigrating  Fund  Com- 
pany, 85,  134 
Persecution,  character  of,  18 
Persecutions,   Mediaeval,   explained, 

222 
Persecutions  of  Mormons,  4 
Peterson,  Sarah  A.,  on  plural  mar- 
riage, 257 
Phelps,  William  W.,  55 
returns  to  Church,  6^ 
"  Philanthropy,"  effects  of,  264 
Piexotto,  Doctor,  Hebrew  instruc- 
tor, 56 
Plural  Marriage,  6,  7 
called  unrighteous,  217 
discussion    and    explanation    of, 

239-266 
great  occasion  for  criticism,  239 
healthy    posterity     produced     by, 

248-249 
not  condemned  in  the  Bible,  217, 

247 
and  mutual  love,  251,  252,  266 
a  sacred  covenant,  239-240 
to   be   sanctioned   by   priesthood, 

240 
social  evil  neutralized  by,  245-248 
social  significance  of,  242-249 
sufferings  of  women  under,  252- 

253 
upheld  by  women,  250-266 
Political  activities,  alleged,  327-349 
"  Political  menace  "  of  Mormonism, 

.329-330,  331-332 
Politics,  corrupt,  in  America,  332 
Polygamy,  see  Plural  Marriage. 
Polygyny,  see  Plural  Marriage 
"  Polytheism,"  Mormon,  202 
Popular   rule   in   Mormon   Church, 

285-286 
Positivism    and    Mormonism    com- 
pared, 123 
Poverty,  abolishment  of,  111-114 
Powers,  Orlando  W.,  Judge,  unjust 

decisions  of,  355 
Pratt,  Orson,  40 
debates  polygamy  with  Dr.  New- 
man, 350 
on  atonement,  206-207 
on  materialism,  175,  179 
Pratt,  Parley  P.,  49 
alleged  part  of,  in  plot  to  publish 
Book  of  Mormon,  415 


Pratt,   Parley  P.,  on  character  of 
theology,  170-171 
on  courage  of  Joseph  Smith,  60 
on  "materialistic  conception"  of 

God,  180 
on  resurrections,  231-232 
on  theology  as  God-science,  216 
Pratt,  Dr.  Romania  B.,  on  perver- 
sions of  laws  against  polygamy, 
263-264 
Preexistence  of  the   human   spirit, 
190-193 
and  foreordination,  192 
Presidency,    charges    against,    how 
preferred,  287-288 
composed   of   president   and   two 
counselors,  a  peculiar  feature  of 
all  Mormon  organizations,  279 
the  First,  constitution  and  duties 
of,  286-288 
"  Presidency  in  Heaven,"  the  God- 
head, 201 
Presiding  bishop  to  be  a  descendant 
of  Aaron,  276 
duties  of,  276-277 
Priest,  duties  of  a,  274-275 

use  of  the  word,  273 
Priest,  Josiah,  work  of,  on  Ameri- 
can antiquities,  referred  to,  429 
Priesthood,  benefits  of  the,  217 
defined,  272-273,  342 
first  conferred  on  Adam,  197 
lesser,  an  "  appendage,"  273 
Mormon  idea  of,  and  its  scriptural 
authority,  270 
Priests,  Levitical,  quorum  of,  280 
Primary  Association,  302,  307-308 
Prison    reform,   Joseph    Smith   on, 

93,94 
Protestant  clergy,  futility  of,  no 

in  disorderly  mobs,  343 
Protestantism,    abuse    of    Catholic 

Church  by,  166 

aims  and  defects  of,  108 
dissensions  of,  166-167 
doctrinal  compromises  in,  166 
errors   of,   on   righteousness   and 

faith,  207-208 
founded  on  "  seditious  "  activities, 

340-342 

Quakers,  3,  no 

Quincy,    Josiah,    eulogizes    Joseph 
Smith,  12 
on    Joseph    Smith's    anti-slavery 
views,  87-90 


INDEX 


459 


Quincy,  Josiah,  on  Joseph  Smith's 
appearance  and  manners,  64 
on   Joseph    Smith's   good   nature 

and  dignity,  64 
on  "mastering  force"  of  Joseph 

Smith,  66 
quoted,  83 
Quorum,  Mormon  use  of  the  word, 

defined,  279 
Quorum  membership,  total,  295 
Quorums,  several  orders  of,  in  the 
Church,  279-287 

Reaction  in  sociological  theories,  124 

Reformers,  Protestant,  aims  of,  108 

"  Reforming  paranoia,"  89 

Relief  Society,  145 
address  to,  82 
women's,  296-297 

Religion,  kind  of,  needed  now,  109 

Religion    necessary   basis    for   true 
social  reorganization,  107 
and  "  other-worldliness,"  108 
supremacy  of,  in  sociology,  124 
trial  definition  of,  124 

Religion  Class,  the,  302,  310 

Religious     liberty     guaranteed     in 
Nauvoo,  'j^ 
guaranteed     in     constitution     of 
Deseret,  345-346 

Religious  test  for  Utah  proposed  by 
sectarian  agitators,  346 

Renan,    Ernest,    on    "case    of    St. 
Paul,"  396 

Restoration  of  Christianity,  need  of, 
an  old  idea,  166 

Restored  revelation  explains  perse- 
cutions of  Mormons,  169 

Resurrection,  doctrine  of  the,  191- 
192,  231-232 

Resurrection   body  of   Christ,    181, 
182 

Revelation     continuous     and     con- 
stant, 170 
Mormon  esteem  for,  165 

Revelations  to  Joseph  Smith,  char- 
acteristics of,  65-66 

Richards,  Franklin   S.,  counsel  for 
Lorenzo  Snow,  359 

Richards,  Willard,  89,  91 

Rienzi,  Nicola  di,  Italian  insurgent, 
51 

Rigdon,   Sidney,  25,  26,  30,  32,  49, 
(^7.  76,  78 
alleged  part  in  preparing  Book  of 
Mormon,  405,  408-417 


Rigdon,     Sidney,    consistent    testi- 
mony of,  39 
denies  the  Spaulding  theory,  417- 

418 
on  salvation  and  government,  78 
stewardship  appointed  to,  53 
Righteousness  accepted  by  God  at 
"  face  value,"  208 
Scriptural  meaning  of,  207 
and  service  of  God,  how  related, 
214 
Riley,  I.  Woodbridge,  anti-Mormon 
writer,  40,  42 
epilepsy  theory  of,  382-392 
"automatic   writing"    theory   of, 

427-434 
Roberts,    Brigham    H.,    on   anthro- 
pomorphic God,  188-189 
on  atonement  of  Christ,  204 
on  conferring  of  Aaronic  priest- 
hood, 45 
on  fall  and  atonement,  202-203 
on  forgiveness  of  debts,  86 
on  "  Gods  "  and  God,  202 
on  "  image  of  God  "  in  man,  189 
on  "materialistic  conception"  of 

God,  182-183 
on  Mormon  prosperity,  145 
on  necessity  of  the  fall,  197 
on  ordinances  and  spiritual  gifts, 

209 
on  salvation   for  the  dead,  227- 

228,  229 
on  spiritual  gifts,  173 
on  the  three  witnesses,  41 
on  translation  of  Book  of  Mor- 
mon, 30,  32 
Robinson,  Phil,  on  moral  record  of 
Mormons,  153 
on  Mormon  temperance,  152-153 
on  plural  marriage,  effects  of,  249, 

259-261,  265 
on  United  Order  in  Utah,  127 
Roman  Catholic  Church,  see  Catho- 
lic Church 
Romney,    George,    convicted    under 

Edmunds  law,  338 
Roosevelt,      Ex-President,      denies 
anti-Mormon        misrepresenta- 
tions, 330 
Royce,  Prof.  Josiah,  on  preexistence 
and  freedom  of  will,  194-195 

Saloons  in  Mormon  stakes,  154-156 
Salvation,  description  of,  195 
degrees  of  glory  in,  232 


460 


INDEX 


Salvation  for  the  dead,  227-231 
Mormon  doctrine  of,  grand,  210 
of  the  earth,  doctrine  of,  213-214 
"  Salvation  by  faith,"  207 
San   Francisco   said   to   have   been 

founded  by  Mormons,  143 
Satan  or  Lucifer,  193-194 

revolt  of,  193-194 
"  Scientific  charity "   discounted  by 

Mormonism,  137 
"  Scientific  sociology  "  criticized,  124 
Scripture,  sufficiency  of,  doctrine  of, 

166-167 
Schweich,  Geo.  W.,  quoted,  40,  41 
"  Seers  "  or  "  interpreters,"  23,  30 
Seixas,  Doctor,  Hebrew  instructor, 

56 

Seventy,  an  early  Christian  order, 
281 
equal  to  the  Apostles  in  some  mat- 
ters, 282 
the  first  quorum  of,  281-282 
the,    organization   and    duties   of 
the,  280-282 

"  Sex-consciousness,"  a  perverse  ex- 
pression, 243 

Sex  equality  advocated  by  Joseph 
Smith,  151 

"  Sex  problem,"  a  working  solution 
of,  242 

Shipp,  Dr.  Ellis  R.,  on  perversions 
of  laws  against  polygamy,  264 

Shoe  manufacturing  in  Utah,  133- 

134 
Silkworm  culture  begun  by  Church 

authorities,  132 
Slavery,  abolishment  of,  method  for, 

93 
Sloan,  R.  W.,  on  Mormon  persecu- 
tions, 6 
Smith,  Adam,  mentioned,  12 
Smith,    Bathsheba    W.,    on    plural 

marriage,  253 
Smith,  Hyrum,  47,  59,  91 
Smith,  Joseph,    3,  7 
ability  of,  to  make  enemies,  99 
account  of  three  witnesses,  37-38 
addressed  as  Enoch,  50 
advocates  equality  of  sexes,  151 
ancestry  of,  383 
attempts  to  abolish  poverty,  112- 

114 
candidate  for  president,  91-^ 
charges  against,  8,  13,  14,  15,  16 
compared  to  Calvin,  83 
courage  of,  described,  60 


Smith,   Joseph,  dependence  of,  on 

Christ,  22 
domination  of  in  Nauvoo,  345,  347 
early  maturity  of,  49 
early  religious  experiences  of,  17- 

18 
educational  work  of,  55-56 
epileptic  theory  of,  38,  381-399 
estimate  of,  by  "a  traveler,"  97- 

98 
exceptional  reputation  of,  10 
first  arrest  of,  47 
first  trial  of,  47 

founds  United  Order,  111-112,  211 
geniality  of,  63-64 
hypnotism  theory  of,  42 
hypotheses  on  life  of,  44 
idealism  of,  95-96 
intemperance  charged  against,  15 
justice  due  to  him,  103-104 
lawgiver  and  executive,  68-86 
leadership  of,  54 
"mastering  force"  of,  66 
miraculous  powers  ascribed  to,  61- 

63 

"money-making,"  81 

"  most  powerful  influence  "  of,  12 

as  a  mystic  leader,  65-66 

not  an  imposter,  230 

on  abode  of  the  blessed,  213-214 

on  Adam's  authority,  197-198 

on  capital  punishment,  72 

on  charity,  82-83 

on  duelling,  88 

on  God's  power  to  lay  down  life 
and  take  it  again,  183 

on  government  of  God,  76-78 

on  human  brotherhood,  86 

on  "image  of  God"  in  man,  183 

on  "materialism,"  175 

on  the  Nauvoo  charter,  68 

on  peace  universal,  94 

on  popular  government,  94 

on  preexistence,  190 

on  priesthood,  197-198 

on  prison  reform,  93,  94 

on  physical  effects  of  religious  ex- 
periences, 394 

on  salvation  and  incarnation,  195 

on  the  Seventy,  281 

on  slavery,  87-90 

on  slavery  abolishment,  93,  94 

on  the  spirit  of  prophecy,  168-169 

on  U.  S.  Government,  powers,  etc., 
92-94 

on  unity  of  the  Godhead,  185 


INDEX 


461 


Smith,  Joseph,  on  visions  and  visita- 
tions, 169 
opinions  on  government,  88 
originates   the   Church   organiza- 
tion, 270 
personaHty  of,  10-12 
personal  relations  of,  66,  99-104 
"a  phenomenon  to  be  explained," 

12 
as  prophet,  seer  and  revelator,  44- 

prophetic  claims  of,  15 

"a  puzzle,"  12 

receives  the  priesthood,  271 

receives  revelation  on  plural  mar- 
riage, 239 

recommends  national  bank,  93,  94 

restored  Christianity,  views  on, 
167 

his  right  to  fair  treatment,  8,  9 

"  a  second  Mohammed,"  75-76 

secret  of  his  influence,  52 

sincerity  of,  evident,  66 

the  "sine  qua  non  of  the  age,"  98 

sins  confessed  by,  21,  22 

slavery  views  of,  350-351 

solutions  of  difficulties,  15 

as  statesman  and  reformer,  87-98 

studies  Hebrew,  56 

temperance,  ordinance  on,  74 

as  thinker,  leader  and  reformer,  9 

toleration  edict  by,  73 

"  Utopian  fallacies  "  of,  83,  88-89, 

95 

on  vice-suppression,  75 

vile  charges  against,  99 

visions  reported  by,  15,  17,  23,  24 

a  "  wanton  gospeler,"  47,  169-170 
Smith,  Joseph  F.,  40 

on  foundation  of  the  United 
Order,  111-112 

on  "  temporal  character  "  of  Mor- 
monism,  212 

on  temporal  religion,  128 
Smoot,  Abraham  O.,  56 
Snow,  Eliza  R.,  organizes  branches 
of  Y.  L.  M.  I.  A.,  302 

on  plural  marriage,  258 

quotation  from,  185 
Snow,  Lorenzo,  case  of,  argued  be- 
fore U.  S.  Supreme  Court,  357- 
366 

conviction  of,  for  unlawful  co- 
habitation, 355 

couplet  on  God  and  man,  185 

released  on  habeas  corpus,  365 


Smith,  Joseph,  work  of,  in  develop- 
ing home  industries,  133 
Social  "  problems  "  due  to  neglect  of 

Christ's  teachings,  208,  210-21 1 
solution  of,  in  Gospel,  211 
Social  reform  theories,  faults  of,  107 
Socialism  and  absolutism,  121 
Socialism,  primary  weakness  of,  107, 

121-122 
Sociological  experiments,  defects  of, 

120 
Soul  of  man,  the  spirit  and  body, 

191 
Spalding,  Franklin  S.,  on  Mormon 

development  works,  135,  138 
on  "political   menace"   of   Mor- 

monism,  344 
Spaulding    authorship    theory,    99, 

400-426 
"  affidavits  "  supposed  to  uphold, 

402,  403,  404,  405 
Spaulding,  John,  alleged  brother  of 

Solomon  Spaulding,  401,  402 
Spaulding,       Solomon,       supposed 

author  of  Book  of  Mormon,  25, 

26,  30,  32 
date  of  death  of,  400 
religious  views  of,  426 
Spencer,  Herbert,  on  Socialist  fail- 
ures, 121 
Spinoza,  Benedict,  on  "  thought "  of 

God  and  man,  177 
Spirit,  gifts  of  the,  168,  171-172,  209 
Spirit,  Mormon  definition  of,  175 
Spirit,  Holy,  see  Holy  Spirit 
Spiritism   and   religious   nature   of 

man,  399 
Spiritistic  messages,  etc.,  20-21 
Spratling,  William  P.,  on  epileptic 

symptoms,  386-387,  390-391 
Stake  High  Council  as  a  court,  294 
Stake  presidency,  288,  289-390 
Stake,  use  of  the  term,  288-289 
State  and  national  governments,  93- 

94 
"  State  sovereignty,"  bad  effects  of, 

90 
Stewardship,    law    of,   and    United 

Order,  111-112 
Sugar    manufacture    begun    under 

Mormon     Church     authorities, 

131-132 
Sunday    Schools,    organization    of, 

302-307 
enrolled  membership  of,  307 
graded  instruction  in,  302 


462 


INDEX 


"  Superrational  sanction  for  con- 
duct," 107,  123-124 

Supreme  Court,  U.  S.,  cases  argued 
before,  on  polygamy,  356-364 


Talbot,  J.  C,  Episcopal  bishop,  re- 
marks on  Mormonism,  350 
Talmage,  James  E.,  on  endowment, 
216 
on  faith  and  works,  208-209 
on  the  fall  of  man,  196-197 
on  "  individual  salvation,"  144 
on  salvation   for  the  dead,  228- 

229 
on  "  sons  of  Perdition,"  219 
on  spiritual  gifts,  172 
Talmage,   T.   D.,   anti-Mormon  ut- 
terances of,  313-314 
Tammany  Hall  compared  to  Mor- 
mon Church,  331-332 
Taylor,    John,    absurd    attacks    on, 

314,  315 
address  on  polygamy  by,  339,  340 
conversation  with  M.  Krolokoski, 

Fourierite,  1 19-120 
on  atonement  of  Christ,  204 
on    plural    marriage,    effects    of, 
244-245 
Teacher,  an  appendage  to  the  lower 
priesthood,  274 
duties  of  a,  274 
Teachers,  quorum  of.  280 
Telestial  glory  or  "  kingdom,"  232, 

234-235 
Temperance  among  Mormons,  151- 

153,  155-157 
enforced  by  revelation,  218 
in  Nauvoo  ordinance,  74 
Temple  built  at  Nauvoo,  71-72 
"  Temple-workers,"  229 
Temporal  salvation,  1 19-144 
Terrestrial    glory    or    "kingdom," 

233-234 

Theocratic  polygamy  and  demo- 
cratic monogamy,  339-340 

Theocratic  rule,  truth  about,  170 

Theology  as  God-science,  170-171, 
215-216 

"This-world  religion,"  A,  213 

Three  witnesses  to  Book  of  Mor- 
mon, testimony  of,  discussed, 
39-40 

Tithing,  law  of,  115-118 

Toleration,  edict  of,  73 

"Total  depravity,"  207 


"Transcript"    from   the   plates   of 

Mormon,  431-434 
Traveling  high  council,  284,  293 
Tribune,     Salt     Lake,     quotations 

from,  319-320,  321,  32^ 
Trinity,  doctrine  of  the,  explained, 

188 
Tucker,   Pomeroy,  on  character  of 

Joseph  Smith,  13,  14 
on  the  "  mysterious  stranger,"  416 
Tullidge,  Edward,  on  Mormonism, 

83 
on  "women  of  Mormondom,  253, 

254,  255,  257 
Tuttle,  Daniel  H.,  Episcopal  bishop, 

circulates     anti-Mormon     peti- 
tion, 335-336,  355-356 
Twelve  apostles  (see  Apostles) 

United   Order,  attempt  to   restore, 
126-127 
founded  at  Kirtland,  O.,  iii,  211 
not  abandoned,  125-126 
reasons  for  failure  of,  112 
revelations  authorizing,  113-114 
Rules  for  members  of,  112-113 
United     States     Government     com- 
pared to  Mormon  organization, 
289 
United      States      Constitution      on 

nomination  of  President,  291 
Universal    salvation,    meaning    of, 

206 
Unlearned  people,  religion  for,  173- 

174 
Urim  and  Thummim,  23,  26,  30,  33 
Utah,  abuse  of  law  by  judges   in, 
263-264 
crime  record  in,  157-162 
development  of,  129-132 
judicial  miscarriages  in,  350-369 
oppression  in,  5 
Utah  Commission,  6 
Utah    penitentiary,    horrible   condi- 
tions alleged  in,  370 
total  of  commitments  to,  159-160 
"  Utopian  Fallacies,"  83,  88-89,  95 

Van  Buren,  Prest.  Martin,  69,  91 

Vest,  George  G.,  U.  S.  Senator,  op- 
poses Edmunds-Tucker  bill,  368 

Visions,  how  regarded  by  mankind, 
19-20 

Voting  of  Mormon  Church  mem- 
bership, 285-286 


INDEX 


463 


Ward  Bishop's  court,  293-294 
Ward    officers    and    organizations, 

292 
Washington,  George,  work  of,  226 
Wells,   Emmeline   B.,   editorial  by, 
261-262 
poem  by,  265-266 
protest  signed  by,  371 
West,  Caleb,  Gov.,  signs  letter  on 
Christian  Industrial  Home,  374 
speech    of,    on    Christian    Indus- 
trial Home,  zi^ 
Westminster  Confession  quoted,  182 
alleged  parallel  passages  with,  430 
Whitmer,  David,  3O1  32,  37,  38,  39, 

ej 

appointed  apostle,  283 
epitaph  of,  41 
statement  of,  in  1887,  41 
testimony  of,  in  1878,  40 
Whitmer,  Peter,  89,  100 
Whitney,    Helen    Mar,    on    plural 

marriage,  246 
Whitney,  Newell  K.,  49 

stewardship  appointed  to,  53 
Whitney,  Orson  F,,  on  Christian  In- 
dustrial Home,  373 
on  gathering,  71-72 
on  the  gathering  of  Israel,  226- 

227 
on  Mormon  activities,  125-126 
on    plural    marriage,    advantages 
of,  242 
Widtsoe,  Prof.  John  A.,  on  atone- 
ment, 206 
on  Mormon  "materialism,"  175 
"Wife  to  her  Husband,"  poem  by 

Emmeline  B.  Wells,  266 
Will,  freedom  of  the,  193-195 
Williams,    Frederick    G.,    steward- 
ship appointed  to,  53 
Williams,  Rev.  Levi,  5 
Winter  Quarters  (Florence),  Neb., 

128 
Witnesses,  the  Three,  37,  38,  39 

Testimony  of,  38 
Women,  elevation  of,  243 
memorial     to     Congress     against 

anti-polygamy  laws,  354-355 
Mormon,  nobly  womanly,  151 
resolution  of,  against  anti-polyg- 
amy laws,  353-354 


Women's  Relief  Society,  296-297 

founded,  83 
Woodruff,    Phoebe    C,    on    plural 

marriage,  254-255,  262 
Woodruff,  Wilford,  254 
attends  school  in  Kirtland,  56 
on  healing  of  disease  by  Joseph 
Smith,  61 
Woods,  Rev.  Sashiel,  4 
Woolen  mills  erected  by  Church  au- 
thorities, 132 
"Word  of   Wisdom,"  the,  217-218 

Young,   Brigham,   alleged   "Adam- 
God"  doctrine,  200-201 
attempts  to  restore  United  Order, 

126-127 
founder  of  Utah,  129,  130 
founds   Brigham   City,   industrial 

center,  133 
founds  colleges  in  Utah,  309 
founds  the  Y.  L.  M.  I.  A.,  300 
founds   Zion's   Cooperative   Mer- 
cantile Institution,  133-134 
imprisoned  and  sued  for  divorce, 

364-365 
insists  on  mutual  helpfulness,  59 
on  atonement  of  Christ,  204 
on  blood  atonement,  220,  224 
preeminent  pioneer,  143 
promulgates  "  land  law  of  Israel," 

127-128 
sermon  by,  quoted,  342-343 
succeeds  to  power,  58 
"temporal  activity"  of,  128 
work  provided  for  people  by,  149- 
150 
Young  Ladies'  Mutual  Improvement 

Association,  300-302 
Young  Ladies'  Retrenchment  Asso- 
ciation, 302 
Young  Men's  Mutual  Improvement 

Association,  298-300 
Young,    Zina    D.,   on    plural    mar- 
riage, 257-258 

Zane,  Charles  S.,  Judge,  sentences 
polygamists,  339 

Zion,  setting-up  of,  115 

Zion's  Cooperative  Mercantile  In- 
stitution, founding  of,  133 

Zoroaster,  dualistic  system  of,  194 


MAR  1  8  1917 


3-O0  >u- 


